Hundreds made their way to Sycamore Pool in Chico's Bidwell Park for the 37th annual Polar Plunge.
Although the temperature outside was in the sixties, the temperature of the water was about 39 degrees.
Not everyone was in a rush to get out of the water. Some swam a lap back to the side that they jumped from.
Many that we spoke with said this is an annual tradition that they wouldn't miss out on, and that they love seeing the community come together. There were mixed opinions about just how cold the water really felt.
Riley and Jayda Bungarner talked about how cold the water was. "It was just right," one of them said. "I thought I couldn't breathe while I was in there it was just like freaking me out, but oh, my God. I'm refreshed now," they continued.
"But we did it though. It's very refreshing. I feel warm now. I still feel pins and needles a little bit," they explained.
People that we spoke with said it's a refreshing way to start the new year.