With Winter Quarter drawing to a close, an unexpected onslaught of snow has made Northwestern students realize how far away spring still is.
“I’m glad we finally got a good amount of snow, but it would have been nicer a few months ago, when I wasn’t looking forward to spring,” said Samantha Starrett, a Weinberg freshman.
But as long as the snow continues, she expects the fun will too.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if semi-offensive sculptures start appearing,” Starrett said. “I’ve heard terrible, terrible things about what Jones people like to build in the snow.”
According to the National Weather Service, the Chicago and Evanston area received more than 6 inches of snow Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning. Snow flurries are expected to continue until the weekend, when the area might experience rain or heavier snow again. The weather might not change until the end of the month.
“We can see some snow in April, but typically the bigger snows end in March,” said Christine Krause, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
Cmdr. Michael Perry of Evanston Police Department said there haven’t been any more accidents than usual around the city.
“This is the most snow we’ve seen all year,” Perry said. “Six-inch snow is easy to control. The problems only start at 12 inches.”
While there was not enough snow to disrupt classes or cause any problems for NU facilities, many students used the downfall as an opportunity to escape the pre-Reading Week workload.
Erin Olson went outside with friends in Allison Hall on Tuesday night to have a snowball fight, make snow angels, and play “Duck, Duck, Goose” and “Red Rover” in the snow.
“It was like we were kids again,” said Olson, a Medill freshman.
Mike Kanarek, a Weinberg junior from Boston, said he’s used to walking in the snow.
“Of course it’s a bigger pain in the ass when I live 20 minutes from campus, but what are you going to do?” Kanarek said. “The wind is what pisses me off. Snowflakes hurt when they’re coming at you at 40 miles an hour.”
For Jen Chin, who will return home to a warmer climate over Spring Break, the snow comes as a welcome surprise.
“It’s exciting to get so much snow, because in California there isn’t any,” said Chin, a Medill freshman. “I’ve been waiting all year for it to snow this much.”
