Jackson Mote is a French
major from Indianapolis.
CHRISTA SCHRODEL / THE DEPAUW
The weather of Greencastle in February has offered us a plethora of cold temperatures so far. Even though we started off the first weekend of month with temperatures in the 50 degrees Fahrenheit range, it’s been relatively cold since then. The coldest day of the month we’ve experienced was last Thursday, with a temperature of 9 degrees Fahrenheit. The forecast for the last week of February calls for even more cold temperatures. While currently residing in Greencastle, one thing is clear at this point and that is the need to bundle up.
It seems as though the buzz of campus seems to slow down in the afternoons and evenings as temperatures drop and residents decide to stay inside. The choice to stay inside and be warm is often much easier than facing the cold weather.
The main factors in staying warm while traversing our currently snow covered campus are undoubtedly a coat, hat, gloves and snow/water resistant footwear. A winter coat will provide you with overall warmth and wind resistance to get you where you need to go when you have to walk. A hat and gloves are also important, as they’ll help keep your fingers and ears protected from the cold.
I believe that snow and water resistant footwear is especially important to winter survival as we head into the spring season and hopefully some warmer weather soon. But with warmer weather will come the inevitable melting of the masses of snow and ice covering each and every corner of Greencastle. Often the melting process of the snow can be slow and the product of such weather will be a gray mix of salt, snow and ice that will tear improper footwear apart. It’s evident that a pair of boots is key to keeping your feet protected from the slush.
As the spring season begins, we’ll probably have to make it through a significant amount of rain, especially in March. A proactive choice to get a raincoat and umbrella now may save you from a watery fate later. The water resistant boots will still be important during the spring because the water drainage system of the streets on campus often becomes overflowed and floods the key intersections.
In any case, I’d rather enjoy warmer weather at the cost of also experiencing a fair amount of rain. The cold weather just keeps coming but we’ll get through it if we prepare properly. Before we know it, we’ll be wearing shorts outside again. However, I’m hesitant to be confident for warmer weather right now when the memory of a snow filled spring break haunts me from my first-year experience on campus in 2013.