Snow days have been a hot topic in high school for decades and are always a pleasant surprise. Not much beats waking up to an alarm, and finding you don’t have to get up. Looking out your window to a snow covered neighborhood is so special. Some of my favorite moments and memories have come from snow days. However, what if I told you those days are going away; the weather is getting warmer, and snow storms aren’t happening as periodically?

     Over the years our climate has changed significantly and the weather patterns have become more extreme but less frequent. Over the past 10 years, the average snowfall per storm in the state of Massachusetts has increased by an average of 1.2 inches per storm, and in the last 20 years has increased by 1.7 inches. The exponential increase in snowfall is believed to be led by climate change. The average snowfall temperature 50 years ago was 27.3 degrees, while now it’s almost nearly 30. Stated by Ipswich High School science teacher Mrs. Lafrance,  “Climate, which is defined as trends in temperature and precipitation over the long term (at least 30 years), has been changing due to an increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.” Greenhouse gasses trap the heat in our atmosphere, and when we dig up and use fossil fuels that have been in the ground for millions of years, we release CO2 which builds to the layer of greenhouse gasses. It’s important we limit our fossil fuel consumption to alleviate the pressure on the greenhouse gasses that disrupt the heat flow into space.

     Weather patterns are oftentimes hard to follow, especially snow storms. Weather patterns are so unpredictable that meteorologists look at different systems and patterns to give their best predictions but can often be wrong.

     Snow days are, “great unexpected breaks,” says Mrs. LaFrance. They allow students and staff to appreciate their community. I think snow days are very stress relieving. Snow is so peaceful and the scenery it brings to the town of Ipswich never gets old and is something I appreciate every year. “The days are relaxing and even thrilling as my friends and I race down the hill with our sleds,” says a freshman from Ipswich High School. “It allows me to catch up on work and possibly even get ahead on other subjects with the extra time,” says a sophomore. 

     Now, is having a day off too much of a burden of academics.  Some people believe that our summer shouldn’t be shortened and snow days should be taken advantage of as an opportunity for students to use Zoom again and to still connect with their teachers for asynchronous assignments that can be completed outside the classroom. However, there are two sides to every story as stated by Nate Brady from the senior class. “Snow days only happen so often; if we get two days added on at the end of the school year-so what. Snow days are great opportunities to make memories and hang out with friends.” Also,  another fellow senior, Charlie Jepson says, “ I love the time off. Having Zoom calls and assignments on top of our busy schedules would be disappointing to say the least. We went through two years of that and absolutely hated it, and should be allowed to enjoy the infrequent day off from school.” This seems to be an active conversation in the community but hasn’t really been addressed seriously. Zoom and Teams are two of the top programs used around the world today, and they could be very easily implemented into our classroom for snow days or other unexpected days off.

     I am very aware of the procrastination issue in high schools around the country and am very curious about productivity on snow days. From talking to members of IHS, I have found a trend that more people tend to procrastinate on snow days, compared to a normal school day. Junior Zack Baker says, “I find more distractions on snow days; everyone wants to hangout and go out and enjoy the snow. The last thing on my mind is homework.” When time is limited (like a normal school day) we tend to get our work done to allow us to go to bed earlier or alleviate stress. The less distractions we have the less we procrastinate. 

     All in all, snow days are fun, enjoyable moments students will remember for the rest of their lives. It’s important we get to enjoy those days relaxing, spending time with others, and getting ahead for the school days to come.