I think all of us “northerners” can agree that we’re sick of the cold, gloomy winter months, once and for all. Though the season hasn’t been that long (yet), there’s been something especially dreadful about the 2014-2015 winter. No matter where you are, negative temperatures aren’t fun. But Happy Valley is known for having the most outrageous and bipolar weather.
Being from Philadelphia, I get my fair share of all four seasons, so I’m used to the cold winters. Going from Philly to State College is a different story. The “cold” at home is considered warm here. The amount of times that I have heard or seen people say, “It's like summer outside,” when it hits above 15 degrees is more than I wish I had. It’s been said that you could potentially get frostbite from being outside for as little as 15 minutes (or perhaps a walk from home to class). This winter took us all by surprise, as the really low temperatures were extremely delayed, getting us all excited for a mild season. But lo and behold, the chilling weather came in full-force in late October.
There are many reasons why students may hate this weather, but here are a few important ones:
3. It makes going outside unbearable.
The cold weather makes it practically impossible to want to leave your apartment/dorm/house. The weather is the perfect excuse to skip class or the gym.
2. Getting dressed is a long, drug-out process.
Having to layer up and get on all your snow gear (hats, scarf, snow boots, gloves, etc.) before braving the cold makes it difficult to quickly leave the house. An extra 5-10 minutes just for changing is time that could be better spent, like, relaxing for a little while longer.
1. It messes with your motivation to go out.
Perhaps the worst part of all: going out with just a "fracket" keeping you warm makes going out painful. Is it really worth the terrible walk to and from your destination(s) to have a good night out with your friends? I think we all know the answer but the choice is yours.
Hopefully, the season is coming to an end soon, but in the meantime, make sure to bundle up in order to brave the storm that is State College winters.
