Offbeat | 2020 starts on frigid note with polar bear plunges

2020 began in frigid fanfare for hundreds of people who splashed through the Atlantic Ocean during the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club Plunge.
Swimmers wearing Santa hats and other costume braved 4-degree temperatures to partake in the New York City tradition.
The weather was chillier than last year, when the mercury rose unseasonably high to 15 degrees Celsius.
The event dates to 1903 and raises money for various charities.
Polar bear plunges were also held in such locales as North Beach, Maryland; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Perth, Ontario.