The “big” hill in Plymouth’s Centennial Park sits alone this winter as there is not enough snow for the younger children to go sledding or have fun in the snow. Photo by: Katie Sommers
By Katie Sommers
In the middle of January, Plymouth has dustings of snow, the grass can still be seen, and the temperatures are all over the place. From high 50’s to low teens, it is starting to look like another winter with little to no snow once again.
When people glance outside, the only thing to see is a little snow and a bunch of slush. It does not look like a normal winter with a lot of snow. Last year and this year have been similar with only getting a few inches of snow. “I actually would have preferred more snow. I would normally hate driving in it but when you haven’t had something that you are used to having you start to miss it,” said senior Maiyah Czarnecki in regards to her view on what this winter is like for her.
When students grow up with snow and are used to it then it suddenly is not there, it can be hard to adjust. Going from having a large amount of snow during winter to not having it has affected students in many ways. Senior Rachael Principe said, “I have lots of memories in the snow this time of year, it’s kind of depressing without it. I mean, we’re all used to a lot of snow along with delays [and] cancellations and playing outside or sledding. It [is difficult] not having any of that.”
There are many ups and downs to having snow and not having snow. Freshman Adrianna Enders said, “[the] best thing of having snow during the winter is that it makes all the trees and the ground look beautiful for the season.” To certain PHS students, being able to see the snow is not the only good part of having it, but also being able to play in it. Junior Shannon May said her favorite part of having snow is being able to go sledding and the worst part is having to defrost the cars windows in the morning. There are positives and negatives to having snow and not. Sophomore Nadia Baca said, “The best part of not having snow [is] not having to shovel the driveway.”
As the winter is half way over, Plymouth has still yet to get enough snow to cover the ground, grass, and the trees which can potentially mix up natures cycles. Photo by: Katie Sommers
Not having a heavy snowfall during winter can affect many things. For example, it can affect people, places, and nature’s ways. It may even affect people’s attitude, as well as mental or emotional state. May said that not having much snow could affect, “The people who plow roads for a living.” Principe has a different way of thinking about how not having snow could affect someone or something. She said that it will affect the young children the most because they would not get the regular winter experience. It might make the trees bloom early. On the other hand, Junior David Walsh has another option. He said that it could, “affect nature because the animals that need the snow and cold weather to survive won’t have that kind of weather and could die from it.”
When there is snow covering the ground, people are able to go sledding, make snowmen, have snowball fights, and enjoy the view. When it is not here and slush and dustings are covering the ground, and most of the fun is gone along with activities are cancelled. Principe said, “I was going to take Val (our foreign exchange student) sledding! The little snow we had melted before I got cleared to go sledding and so therefore we didn’t get to go.” Having little to no snow forces people to hang up the sleds and shovels.
Seeing a picture of winter usually contains snow, ice, bare trees, wind, and clouds. This winter has not had much of this, but having snow is what most of us picture for winter. For sophomore Delaney Keiser, “It is [important to have snow] because then it feels like winter and that just makes it fun.” Agreeing with Keiser, Walsh said that having snow is a necessity because it is what makes it winter. Having snow does make it seem like winter, but not forever. May said, “Snow through the winter is not necessary. Arizona is doing just fine without snow.”
On Christmas Eve and Day there was no snow, though Plymouth did get it a few days afterwards. Having a “White Christmas” is what many people enjoy to have. On Christmas day senior Traci Longanecker said she was disappointed that there was no snow, “That’s the only time there should be snow.” Having snow on Christmas is mostly everyone’s vision of Christmas time. Enders said, “Yes [she was disappointed there was no snow] because it’s not really Christmas without the snow.”
Having little to no snow during Christmas time and during winter has affected many people. Some people like not having it and some miss it. There is still about another month left of winter so there is still have chances for snow for the people who miss it.