Let it snow! Out-of-state students enjoy first snowstorm.

By Jess Camp

Published Dec. 5, 2006

Sledding until you can't feel your body anymore, building a snowman and then dressing it in real clothing, creating a snow angel by rolling in the snow and flapping your arms like you're on fire: These are all things that people think of when they think of winter.

But, of course, not everyone has experienced these seasonal activities. Many Southerners who walk the halls of MU have not had the pleasure of romping in the snow. So to them, this recent weather is a completely new experience.

Freshman and Texas-native Sophia Beausoleil, who has not seen snow in a very long time, said she was very excited.

She was out until 2 a.m. taking pictures of the snow and lightning.

Freshman Becky Anderson, another Texan, went sledding for the first time Thursday night.

"I went sledding until three in the morning," she said. "It was fun, not scary."

The snow day was an enjoyable event for many first-timers.

"It was a fun experience," Beausoleil said. "I need to get snow boots, though, because snow seeped into my sneakers, which made my feet cold and wet. And that just doesn't cut it."

Anderson said it was fun meeting a lot of new people when she was playing in the snow.

She liked how everyone had no worries and was happy because of the snow.

"My favorite part of the snow day was seeing all of the couples who were walking around being cutesy and romantic," Beausoleil said.

A snow day is very rare for MU. Friday was only the fourth time in 28 years, and the first since 1998, that classes were cancelled due to weather.

Although more than a foot of snow fell on Thursday night, some might be skeptical as to whether Columbia will receive more snow any time soon.

But Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science Tony Lupo disagrees.

"I think that this is only December and that we have more snow in store," he said. "Missouri typically gets 20 inches in a year. You can usually expect an inch or two after a front has passed through. We have a good start."

Although the temperature was below 20 degrees and a heavy amount of snow fell, the storm is not categorized as a blizzard, Lupo said. The wind would have needed to exceed about 35 miles per hour to have been so, and it did not.

Lupo said he disagrees with the idea that global warming is responsible for storms such as the one last week.

"Never say that one storm is caused by climate change," he said. "Each storm is an independent event. It's the sum of the total events that make a climate change."

Lupo also discredited the advice of adults who say not to eat snow because it is dirty.

"Considering that years ago the air was much dirtier, which means that the snow was so, they probably shouldn't have eaten it," Lupo said. "But now, with the Clean Air Act, it is much cleaner and harmless. Unless it's yellow, of course."