Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, inciting the spark for love in many, but can what's going on outside also influence intimacy?
Much of the U.S. is digging out from two back-to-back blizzards, and many were home bound for most of the week. A case of "cabin fever" may have the power to energize our moods for love.
According to an online survey sponsored by Sparklit.com, we're most in the mood during blizzards and thunderstorms.
19% of people polled said that a snowstorm is a time to stay indoors, get cozy and find something to do.
The early-January chill for the U.K. prompted many snowed-in Britons to explore online dating websites.
BBC News reported that several dating sites saw top numbers for the month of January, many even breaking previous records for web traffic.
Britain experienced record-breaking cold and snowfall this winter, weather that hasn't been seen by the nation in over 50 years.
Interestingly enough, an old wives' tale suggests that birth rates skyrocket nine months after harsh winter conditions.
The Department of Obstetric, Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix found no such evidence to support this tale, but the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Population Studies Center shows September as the month with the highest birth rates, which coordinates with a holiday-related increase in sexual activity.
Cold-weather holidays, such as Christmas and New Year products.
Three-day weekends around warm-weather holidays like Memorial Day and Fourth of July are also times when intimacy levels tend to spike.
As sunlight increases with the seasonal change from winter to spring, our brains produce more of serotonin, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter in our brains.
Higher serotonin levels can translate into a boost in mood, and even a heightened sex drive.
Many studies show a strong positive correlation between weather and mood, but nothing is for certain.
"People are very different in their reactions to weather and what can energize them sexually," said Mary Buxton, licensed clinical social worker and sex therapist.
Ultimately, whether the weather-- we're in the mood.
Story by AccuWeather.com Writer Carly Porter
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