Wisco Winters As Told By Lesile Knope

Winter: every UW-Madison student’s worst nightmare. Luckily, Leslie Knope has the perfect way to describe it. She knows that all the winter blahs can be fixed with one warm meal: waffles.    

The first time the temperature drops below 32: 

This will come as a shock. Suddenly a fleece won’t cut it anymore. And before you know it, you’re piling on layers because it’s too early in the season to even think about your parka. It doesn’t seem that bad, though—you can almost trick yourself into thinking that you’ll be able to handle this winter.  

The first snowfall: 

Beautiful, yes. Scary, also yes. With the first snowfall comes only with the promise of more snow for the rest of the winter. Unfortunately, most snowstorms aren’t big enough to cancel classes, so it takes all the fun out of the snow. On the bright side, the temperature probably isn’t that cold yet, and the first snowfall is perfect for sledding on Bascom because it’s new and fresh. Anyway, you better start mentally preparing now.  

The first blizzard: 

Yes, there is a significant difference between the first snowfall and the first blizzard. The first snowfall is usually pretty and calm, with fat snowflakes falling for the perfect Bascom photo-op. The first blizzard is a different story though. This is miserable weather for walking to class. The snow is blowing and it’s incredibly windy. You’re probably trying your hardest not to slip. The first blizzard is not welcomed with open arms. 

The first time they “forget” to salt:

Let’s be honest, salting the sidewalks is not a common occurrence on this campus. Watching where you’re constantly stepping is highly advised. Bless those souls that make the trek up Bascom when there is a significant ice buildup on the ground.   

The first time the temperature dips into the negatives: 

Winter is semi-decent up until this point. But below zero temperatures are just terrible. There is nothing worse than stepping outside and immediately regretting your decision. After all, it took only 0.5 seconds for you to lose all feelings in your face. On these days, we all need a little pep talk to ourselves before stepping outside in to the frozen tundra.  

The first time the temperature hits 10: 

This really isn’t that warm. I’m still in shock how we can get excited over this temperature. It’s amazing how warm it can feel after a couple long days of only having temperatures in the single digits. Nothing feels better than seeing double digits after stretches of negative temperatures.   

Rainy Days: 

I don’t always understand this one. I appreciate the fact that it could be warm enough in the winter to rain, but there’s something about the coexistence of rain and snow that confuses me. Well, at least it melts the snow. 

The first time the temperature is sunny and above 40: 

If you’re from Wisconsin, you’ll appreciate this one the most. 40-degrees means the coat comes off! At this point, nothing beats temperatures above freezing and you can’t help but smile at the feeling of the sun in your face. Boys are showing their legs again and girls are putting away the parkas. Campus has never seemed so lively! One thing we must all remember though is that when this day happens in February, it’s not going to stay.  

March 

March, so much promise, but there are still probably more uncertainties than anything. It can snow in March, but it can also be 70 degrees sometimes. There’s no good way to handle March besides checking the weather daily and planning accordingly. One day you might be fine with a light jacket, and the next day you might have to pull out your parka. There’s no knowing which way the wind is going to blow. The only thing to do is to get excited because March entails the long-awaited arrival of Spring. 

Embrace all there is to winter. If we’re lucky, the worst is probably over for this school year!