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As a central New York native, I’m extremely familiar with snow. While all of you in Miami or Los Angeles were basking in the sun during the winter, I was fighting hypothermia while waiting for the school bus. There were times I was trapped in my house because the snow piled up against the front door overnight. If you think you understand winter weather, don’t talk to me until you’ve endured lake effect snow every year since birth.

As I’m sure I’ve written about in this column before, I have a tricky relationship with snow. Once it starts, I’m thrilled. There’s nothing more magical than waking up on a December morning to find your entire lawn has been coated with the stuff overnight. This year was particularly joyous, as the first major snowfall seemed to happen on the first day of December. It was like nature was wishing us a happy holiday! I felt like Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone,” smiling out of the window, while the burglars he absolutely annihilated with military-grade strategies are shoved in the back of a police car.

But once the holidays are over, like I’ve always said, my mood starts to turn. I asked for a white Christmas, not a white January, February, March and early April. However, I’m trying to enjoy the snow while it’s still yet to be a nuisance. I can give you a few reasons why you should be excited about it, too.

First off, think of all the funny videos that Barstool Syracuse will be posting this winter. Every year, I’m greeted online by a slew of people struggling to walk on ice, sliding down hills because of snow boots without grip, or people sledding down Crouse hill in a not-so-optimal amount of clothing. I’ll never forget the first time I saw someone sled down a campus hill in their underwear. The tradition will never make sense to me, but, gosh, is it entertaining.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good snowball fight. There’s nothing more satisfying than yelling to your friend, “Hey! Look over here!” before absolutely obliterating them with a hulking snowball (always make sure there aren’t any chunks of ice in there, though. We’re not monsters). I love constructing forts, and seeing people build snowmen on the quad. It warms my heart, even when it’s quite literally three degrees Fahrenheit outside.

The snow is also pretty cozy for finals season. It’s not like the spring, when you’re stuck inside studying, dying a little on the inside because everyone is outside playing frisbee or whatever it is happy, outdoorsy people do. The outdoors are definitely much less of a distraction in the winter, because you know that if you leave the library, you have to walk home in the wind and risk catching frostbite. I’d say that inclement weather probably causes studying periods to be at least 45% longer – but I’m no mathematician. I never studied for my stats class, after all.

I hope everyone reading this is having a joyous and mostly tear-free end to the semester. Make sure to go outside once or twice to sled, or at least build a snowman to help battle the seasonal depression.

Published on December 4, 2024 at 10:12 pm

Contact Sarah: sswells@syr.edu