As the Twin Cities’ first significant snowfall of the season blanketed the University campus Friday, some students found the snow frustrating because it delayed their weekend plans, while others embraced it with a childlike playfulness.
Delayed plans and snowmen were the result of 7 inches of snow that had fallen at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Alissa Almquist, a Carlson School of Management first-year student, and Ashley Borree, a music education first-year student, spent part of Saturday evening making a snowman outside of Territorial and Frontier halls. They said they hadn’t made a snowman since elementary school.
The snow proved hard to pack, so Almquist and Borree sprayed water on their 3-foot friend “Howard” to keep him intact.
Searching around the residence halls for things to decorate their snowman, the friends ended up using Oreos for the eyes, a mini carrot for the nose, licorice for the mouth and a garland for a scarf.
Borree made makeshift boots by stepping into garbage bags and securing them with rubber bands around her legs. She said the boots kept her feet dry.
Almquist and Borree said people seemed enthusiastic about the weather conditions around the superblock area, as students made snow angels and played football in the snow.
But for others, the weather wasn’t so fun.
Katie Osdoba, a nutrition sophomore and University cheerleader, said that she found the snow more irritating than enjoyable Friday evening.
She said it took a carpool of Minnesota men’s hockey cheerleaders an hour and a half to drive from Dinkytown to Riverbend Commons to Mariucci Arena for the team’s game against Michigan Tech.
Osdoba said hockey fans were also late and the arena did not fill up until halfway through the game.
University climatology professor Mark Seeley said Minnesota will probably see more snow in February and March, which “shrinks the outdoor recreation season.”
Despite the possibility of more snow, Seeley said, he thinks the metro area has seen the last of extremely cold, “arctic” temperatures.
He said that with the exception of Alaska, Minnesota reported the coldest temperatures in the United States on six different dates in January. Seeley said Embarrass, Minn., reported the coldest temperature in the nation – 54 degrees below zero – on Jan. 17.