“Please excuse the interruption,” began the woman on the announcements just a few days ago. Silence fell over my chemistry class like a blanket of snow. Except the snow was falling outside the room, and it was more like bedsheets than blankets. We all hoped for the same thing: an early release. A collective sigh of disappointment from the class quickly followed as we listened to the name of some student being called down to some office. Sadly, we watched the dropping ice soon give way to a drizzle of chilled liquid.
Students of the Vestal Central School District longingly note the lack of snow days, delays, and early releases in the 2023–24 school year compared to previous years. These gift-wrapped parcels of time once brought joy to avid snow-day probability-checkers, sleep-starved late-night crammers, industrious snow craftsmen, and many more.
When asked to speak on the topic of the snow drought, VHS junior Abril Mendez-Jara commented, “Yeah, it’s [lack of snow days] disappointing, but it’s expected because we already know it’s global warming.” Although she expected such climate-related changes, Abril did not think she would witness them so soon: “I thought: I’m going to be in university, and there might not be any snow until like April, and it’ll be like one big thing.” The statement was reminiscent of the mid-April snow day caused by a county-wide snowstorm in 2022. According to an article by CNN, as climate change worsens, we can expect to see snow in this manner—heavy bursts over short periods—while there are longer periods of higher temperatures and rain instead of snow. The shortage of our beloved snow-caused breaks is a disturbing reminder of the real issue at hand: global warming.
CNN Article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/25/weather/snowfall-temperatures-climate-change-water/index.html
