"Game of Thrones Winter" Topic

How is anyone or anything left alove after a 9 year winter? What did the horses eat? The people? Nobody seems very concerned with putting away food for winter. I don't see storage silos everywhere, or caves full of preserved fruit.

Seriously, how is there anyone alive at all?

Well, there is mention of summer snow in the books. Perhaps winter is only a period of colder weather with brief cycles that allow for growing crops?

I get the impression they have series of mild winters followed by a series of incredibly harsh winters.

They ARE concerned about putting food away. There is mention in the books about laying aside food for long winters. The last few Winters have been short and mild. However everyone knows that after a long Summer comes a brutal Winter, and this Summer has been very nice.
Jaime gives advice to a Lord to get another crop in, knowing it is probably too late. Besides the ominous White Walker invasions, it will be far worse due to the Wolfs and Lions tearing up the Riverlands. Good luck, Westeros! Maybe Highgarden will come through…

Winter has nothing to do with the yearly … years and is unpredictable. The Maesters at the Citadel in Oldtown are in charge of declaring when Winter is "official".

Martin does not bother to give a scientific explanation of Winter. It's MAGIC. Really.

I was just thinking: if a one year winter there is like 4 of ours, and they have had 9 year winters, YIKES. How much fodder does one lousy horse need to last 9 years with no forage?

It doesn't affect how I enjoy the show, but it does seem a pretty big oversight if "winter" is really a non-growing season and not just "chilly" with limited crops…

There's lots of winter crops- just not grain crops.

And doesn't (well, didn't) Winterfell have greenhouses as well as a hot-springs heated climate control? That has to be worth something.

I have pondered the logistics of this myself.

food gets shipped in from estros to su[[lement crop losses. The iron islanders arent so feared in summer.\

food gets shipped in from estros to supplement crop losses.

You mean Essos? That doesn't bode well when you've already pawned your Geo Metro's title and X-Box to Bravos.

As others of have said, a 'Winter' (capital W) in Westeros is *not* 9 years solid of snow and ice across the entire land. The climate gets colder, and the lands north of the Neck probably do end up seeing snow during all months of the year, but south of the Neck they can still grow food, it's just that the growing season gets very short. I suspect that Dorne doesn't even see snow accumulation during the height of a Winter….

And as also mentioned, saving up food is a serious concern, and it's been noted in the books how very badly timed the War of the 5 Kings was regarding trying to build up sufficient stores….

One of the books mentions the extensive underground cave system that the Knights Watch have at the Wall. If I remember correctly, someone tells John Snow that the cave system is so huge that most of it hasn't been explored in years.

There are lots of little bits here and there about preparing for Winter. However, only the older folks remember actually living through a Winter. Also, not all of the Seven Kingdoms is affected by Winter. I think the southern most areas can still grow crops, etc.

Finally, I think that lots of people and animals simply DIE during a Winter. Martin never really spells it out but it is implied that harsh Winters are the reason why Northerners and Wildling are so feared – only tough SOBs live through a Winter. Kind of like folks here in Vermont!

In a world with dragons, a 200 or so foot high wall of ice, undead creatures and long distance communication by raven logistics should be the least of anyone's worries. But I would go with the theory that " winter" in Westeros is a long term weather pattern, similar to the mini ice ages experienced in Europe and America during the Dark Ages, Middle Ages and Late 18th century (as well as at other times). Growing periods are vastly reduced and farming may drop to subsistence level. Otherwise you are looking at a planet that would violate many of the laws of astrophysics.

Seriously though it's kind of like when the Wizard of Oz says "don't look behind the curtain. It's fantasy, whether it's The Sword in the Stone or a wizard living backwards in time or Grendel and his Mom or the Cyclops not every detail needs to be worked out. Tolkien tried but he failed and occasionally you have to rely on Deus ex Machina. And a healthy suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience.

But I would go with the theory that " winter" in Westeros is a …

No. It's "magic".
No one knows if the Others bring on the Winter or Winter brings on the Others.
They are linked, and probably dragons are in there too.
The Citadel is scared less about this. Those that are paying attention at any rate.

@PanzerMatt- that's right, Vermonters still run around in t-shirts when the temperature is below freezing! :) Where in the state are you located?

And yes, to repeat the OFM (has it really come to this?) the weather pattern is indeed magical and not natural, as stated by GRRM several times in interviews.

-Will

@wminsing the Burlington area.

Magic winter or natural winter? I'm OK with either. It is just fun to contemplate. Suspension of disbelief is important in all types of fantasy and sci-fi. What I hate is when an author sets things up one way and then either breaks his own rules or contradicts himself. Tell me winter lasts for 10 years…..cool! However, you better work that into the story and have characters and plot that is affected by that 10 year winter.

So far I think Martin does a pretty good job of having things make sense in this made up reality. I'm excited to see what happens. Winter is still coming …….we will see what happens when it finally gets here.