On January 21, North Florida received 9.8 inches of snow, shocking many of its residents and students at Florida State University. While some students enjoyed the break from classes, other locals disliked the new complications brought by the weather, such as icy roads and power outages.
Approximately 40,000 people in North Florida lost power due to the snow, and many Florida drivers faced icy roads for the first time. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for northern Florida due to the hazardous winter conditions. Despite the challenges, FSU students enjoyed the new winter conditions.
Julia Fabregas, a Miami native and student at Florida State University shared that she had never seen snow before. Fabregas shared how excited she and her friends were while anticipating the first snowfall.
“We sat at our windows and watched it because we were all so excited,” said Fabregas.
With classes canceled, Fabregas and her enjoyed snow day activities like snowball fights and hot chocolate, leaving them with a positive first experience.
“I would love to experience snow again,” said Fabregas.
Lovie Digorno, a freshman at FSU, had conflicting thoughts about the snowstorm due to Florida’s lack of preparation.
“To be honest, as much as I would love to experience another snowy day, I think I would rather be somewhere more prepared to handle it,” Dignonio said.
While Digorno described the snow as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, she said it became a nuisance once the initial excitement wore off. Digorno was less excited than some other students because she felt ill-equipped for its challenges.
“I was working when it first started and driving back I nearly lost control of my car because of how icy the roads were,” said Digorno. “I called out the next day.”
In many areas throughout Florida, the panhandle experienced road and bridge closures. The Florida Department of Transportation was able to deploy snow removal equipment, such as snow plows and salt trucks to clear the roads.
Digorno described the excitement throughout campus over the unexpected weather. She described one student using a boogie board as a snowboard. Many FSU students enjoyed the snow and would love to experience it again.
“I would wake up to check outside my window and there would be snow everywhere. It just gave us so much serotonin,” Fabregas said.
By Avenlea Medina