Its lobby saw the addition of a new fireplace, giving an added sense of warmth in the winter months.

BBC: Business trip: Montreal

But it is painfully hard to find warmth in the coldest winter in two decades.

BBC: Bread queues lengthen in Damascus

These can be closed beyond the open windows for privacy in summer, and shut in winter for warmth and insulation.

ECONOMIST: Building design

And it's also striking considering that, elsewhere in the United States, this past winter was known more for its warmth than its white stuff.

CNN: Anchorage breaks seasonal snowfall record

The warmth in the Arctic that this arrangement has brought may diminish the regeneration of sea ice over the course of this winter, meaning that next summer's sun can push back the boundaries further.

ECONOMIST: Britain��s cold snap is explained by the Arctic oscillation