Though the snow finally hit Syracuse Sunday night, just a few hours prior many SU students marveled at the unseasonably warm weather.
Last year, students had to shovel their way to class as they endured over 72.7 inches of snow in December alone.
But this year, things have changed.
This weekend’s high of 40 degrees prompted freshman Harmony Johnson to run errands in her t-shirt. From Los Angeles, Johnson was warned often about the frigid temperatures in Central New York but the underwhelming weather hasn’t disappointed her as much as it has left her confused.
“When it did snow, it was fun. But at this point, I’ve just become indifferent,” she said.
The sense of unknowing makes New Milford, Connecticut freshman Caroline Habjan tense.
“It was a lot colder in Connecticut last year. I expected it to be very cold here as well but the weather here kind of puts you on edge. You just don’t know when the snow is coming.”
Habjan’s friend Anna Kaszycki, a freshman from Brisbane, Australia, was attracted to Syracuse because of the opportunity to be a student athlete with the crew team. Hearing stories about last winter made her nervous about coming to the usually snowy city.
“I was worried about how cold it would be,” she laughed.
As the flurries started to stream Sunday night, it gave way to Habjan’s fears. Though the National Weather Service said the Syracuse area could see two to five inches of snow, the long awaited winter wonderland felt like a surprise. Still, the snow may not stay for long. On Tuesday, temperatures will rise again, heading back up to the mid 40’s.
