WATCH: Local Reporter Seizes The Day With Awesome Self-Made Cold Weather Prop On CNN

Local CNN-affiliated morning reporter and scrappy go-getter Melissa Cooney took full advantage of a national appearance by fashioning a cold-weather prop that drew notice from CNN anchors Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow.

On Friday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, Collins opened the 7 o’clock hour with some reporting on the “extreme arctic blast” hitting the Northeast. She then tossed to Cooney —  the morning reporter at Vermont’s WCAX since 2021 — for a live report that went from meh to memorable in an instant:

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We’re going to check in on the latest forecast in a moment. But, first, we have our CNN affiliate reporter Melissa Cooney live on the ground in Burlington, Vermont.

Melissa, I know it’s already close to zero degrees where you are. How are officials in the area bracing for this? How bad are we expecting it to get?

MELISSA COONEY, WCAX REPORTER: Good morning, Kaitlan. Well, Vermonters are really no stranger to the cold, but this wind chill is really the kicker here. Right now, as you said, we’re teetering on zero to one degree, and over 200 schools have already been closed here in Vermont. And multiple ski resorts are shutting down too, which is unique because, of course, they love the cold.

A few ski resorts, like Stow, are staying open with some lifts in and some not. But right now, this is severe with the wind chill we’re seeing, negative 17-degree wind chill right now. And temperatures here in Vermont have dropped 30 degrees since the night.

I’m going to show you something. I’ve been freezing a pair of jeans all morning. And as you could see, this is rock solid. This pretty much only took 15 minutes to freeze. That is really how cold it is here in Vermont. At the waterfront center, we actually saw some folks swimming just about two minutes, which is interesting because we have a polar plunge here, an annual event. That too has been canceled due to the severe weather.

For now, we also know that this has been a warmer January. It’s pretty unique because the winter has been the fourth warmest January on record until currently. Right now, we are seeing the negative temperatures for the first time all winter, which is actually quite unique. And even more so, we are going to get even warmer next week. We’re going to be in the 30s and the 40s.

So, this is just a temporary cold snap, but you’re right, folks in the area are bracing for the cold. Some we spoke to say they are not going to leave their house. And others, you know, Vermonters like to be in the wilderness. It’s like what we do. So, for now, we are live in Burlington, Melissa Cooney.

COLLINS: Not when your jeans are frozen like that.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: You’re tough in Vermont. Melissa, thank you very much. It is beautiful, I have to say, behind you.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.