Winter in the Northeast usually means white Christmases, waking up to two-hour delay phone calls due to ice on the roads, and the coveted snow day, spent with pajamas, hot chocolate, and lit fireplaces. However, the 2022-2023 winter has not been so kind to the chionophiles, or those who enjoy snow and winter. 

According to the New York City Weather Archive, the coldest day of this year was December 24th, with an average temperature of 14°F. Scarily, this was also the first day of winter with a temperature below freezing, occurring a week later than average. Less than a week later, on December 30th, we returned to unsettling temperatures of 62℉. 

2021 had the hottest summer on record and 2022 had the third, coming behind only the Dust Bowl in 1936. Based on current data, these numbers will continue to trend upwards, becoming hotter and hotter at a rapid, unnerving rate.

Nanuet has had some teases of winter, such as returning to a thin layer of snow on cars and lawns on November 19th. There are certainly a multitude of environmental reasons to explain this phenomenon, but it does not stop inquisition: where has the snow gone?

The lack of snow altered a significant amount of Junior Julia Lehane’s typical winter routine. 

“I can’t ski,” she said. “I can’t play in the snow. I can’t get a snow day. I can’t get a long weekend.” 

Lehane then humorously commented on various superstitions to bring snow ingrained in elementary school culture.

Snow days are a great break for high schoolers, but it is even more crucial to focus on the elementary students. Everyone has fond, youthful memories of waking up on snow days and, without fail, going to play in the snow. This experience and joy is getting stripped from today’s elementary school students. 

Regardless of climate issues, the absence of snow digs even deeper, to sheer emotional, and eventually societal effects.

“I think the fact that there’s no snow goes to show how far global warming has come, and how present of an issue it is in our daily lives,” remarks an unnamed junior. “I would be lying if I said that I missed having to wait at the bus stop in 20 degree weather, but I do think that some of the character of being a New Yorker and having those unexpected, little, joyful snow days is definitely something I’ll miss.”

The vast majority of people that were asked the vital question “why is there no snow?” immediately responded with something along the lines of blaming carbon emissions and global warming.

“We need snow,” comments monitor Nanuet’s Hallway Monitor Danielle. “We need to be off Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday. It needs to be ten degrees cooler. I’m scared for my children’s future.”

Still, there are those that are pleased at the warmer temperatures and lack of snow.

“I’m sad that there’s no snow, but I’m glad there’s no snow,” says Autumn Calvello, grade 10. “Do I want to shovel my driveway? No.”

Another unnamed source also took an opposing stance, focusing on the environmental ethics. 

“I love snow, and I’m kind of mad that we don’t have snow, but you all need to stop blaming gas cars for that, because it’s not just that,” they said. “All those Tesla drivers who try to look cool driving their Teslas, you’re ruining the environment with your electric lithium batteries…and the electricity that comes to that is made from coal…Right now, gasoline is still pretty efficient, and we cannot support electricity because it’s not good enough.”

There is still a long, frigid winter ahead of us, and there is not a guarantee that we will see absolutely no snow this season. Whether or not it is a cause for concern, the lack of expected snow is puzzling, and may set the precedent for winters to come.