At the beginning of this act, John Proctor says, "It is winter in here yet." Why is this pertinent to what is going on?

When Elizabeth Proctor
continues to treat her husband, John Proctor, with severity and coldness, he says that "it
is winter in here yet," referring to the chilly relations between the two of
them. 

The tension in their marriage is only one of the reasons that Abigail
and John present an ongoing conflict in the play. This tension is, in itself, a conflict that
animates one of the play's most poignant yet subtle themes - admitting to being
wrong. 

We can see this theme strongly conveyed in the difficulties that
Elizabeth and John suffer with one another. Elizabeth struggles to forgive her husband for his
unfaithfulness (his dalliance with Abigail) and she also struggles to forgive herself for
driving him away with her cold demeanor. Proctor, for his part, attempts to reconcile and,
despite his great pride, forces himself to figuratively kneel before his wife, a supplicant for
her forgiveness. 

When Abigail successfully accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft
and Elizabeth is jailed, Proctor and...