Hello, I recently bought a replacement copy of Queen's "A Night At The Opera" in pretty fantastic condition on eBay, and I was pleased when I found it today on my doorstep. But, here in my fragment of the northern USA, there's getting to be a bit of a snow storm outside. I took the vinyl in and was afraid to play it because, I thought, the cold-ness could shrink the grooves, and perhaps some sort of damage could occur during tracking. Is there any science behind this, or am I just paranoid?

I just hooked my iPod up to my DAC and let the digital version warm me up to the album while the album itself warmed up to room temperature ...

I stole this from a web search:

"You may want to look at the book Saving Stuff, written by Don Williams, the senior conservator at the Smithsonian Institute. This is a wonderful reference for anyone seriously concerned with preservation. Pages 164-166 deal with vinyl records.

Mr. Williams notes the following:
""1. Vinyl discs are adversely affected by direct ultraviolet light and temperature fluctuations. Temperature variations eventually induce distortions on the record.
2. Remove shrink-wrap on records, as it will continue to shrink and warp the record.""

He also says to store them in archival glassine paper sleeves especially made for the purpose, and then place the record/sleeve inside the jacket. They should be stored upright and snugly against each other to reduce distortion risks - but not crammed together. And they should be stored in a dark, clean, cool, dry space - with a good rule of thumb being 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 20-40% relative humidity."

What the cold will affect is the turntable and the phono cartridge.  Audiophiles in Northern Europe often have to warm-up their audio room before a listening session.