A touch of snow fell on the roads leading to the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day morning in Olalla. That and frigid near-freezing temperatures separated the football-watching softies from the hardy at the bridge next to Al’s Market, where dozens took the plunge into freezing Puget Sound.

Those who could stand the cold and didn’t mind the temporary shock to their system received a certificate confirming they were the newest members of the Olalla Polar Bear Club.