For University of Richmond students from the northern United States, this weekend's snowstorm brought standard winter weather. But for those from the southern states and the west coast, this was something entirely new.
Between 11 and 16 inches of snow fell Friday and Saturday, the largest snowfall in Richmond in 16 years.
Eric Jedel, a freshman from San Jose, California, was excited about Winter Storm Jonas. “I’m a big fan, mostly because I’ve never been in this much snow before,” Jedel said. “I definitely love it.”
Jedel made the most of this winter wonderland by going sledding, making snow angels and having a snowball fight.
Not everyone enjoyed the weather, however. Some students chose to spend their weekends inside, away from the cold. Others were quick to point out the dangers of the snow that Jonas has left behind.
Megan Alexander, a sophomore from Roanoke, Virginia, had mixed feelings about the snowfall this weekend.
“It’s nice to be off school, but campus isn’t safe to walk around,” Alexander said.
Casey Nolan, a senior from Alpharetta, Georgia, said he had been hesitant to take his car out in this weather, a sentiment that Alexander agreed with.
“I can’t imagine what it was like to drive in,” Alexander said. “No one knows how to deal with it.”
Nolan was surprised at how well the pathways on campus were cleared. While he hoped for as much snow as possible, he was mostly concerned with the safety of everyone traveling around campus.
For some students, this was their first snowfall. Brianna Holmes, a freshman from Naples, Florida, was one who had never seen snow before. She immediately took pictures to send to her friends back home and called her mom, who has also never seen snow, and described what it was like.
This weather was one of the reasons Holmes chose to come to Richmond. “I’m trying to get the most out of it while it’s here,” Holmes said.
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Mariah Maki agrees. Maki, a sophomore from Jaffrey, New Hampshire, is no stranger to snow. But it’s different to have a snowstorm at school, she said.
“I think it’s really cool to see college kids sledding and having snowball fights,” Maki said. “I also really enjoy being with people when they experience their first snow.”
Georgia Svehla is spending the semester at Richmond from Sydney, Australia, where it is currently summer. On Sunday, she helped a friend dig her car out of the snow, an experience she described as weird, challenging and a bit annoying.
Svehla was surprised at the depth of the snow and said there had been much more of it than she expected. She spent the weekend taking pictures of the snow-covered campus.
“I felt like I was walking through Narnia,” Svehla said.
Narnia may be a magical, snowy kingdom, but it has nothing on Richmond.
Contact writer Dylan Rowell at dylan.rowell@richmond.edu
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