The first “real” snow day for the majority of Mainers has finally hit, bringing with it multiple inches of snow and counting.
It’s already early January, however — quite late in the winter for the first widespread snow — and more than a month into meteorological winter overall. The snow from the Dec. 4 storm only stuck around for about a week, when a Dec. 11 rainstorm washed away most of it. With temperatures projected to swing back up into the 50s for much of the state on Wednesday, this snow probably won’t stick around too long either.
According to news organization Climate Central, more than half of all Maine weather stations have reported more winter rain since 1955. A 2022 study at the University of New Hampshire found that Maine’s southern and coastal regions will continue to lose cold and snow as the years progress, and could potentially see “near-total loss of snow and freezing temperatures.”
Beyond what the lack of snow means for Maine’s winter sports industry and what it means in a broader sense about climate change, there’s the fact that less snow changes a fundamental part of what it’s like to be a kid in Maine: snow days.
What kid didn’t thrill at the early morning news that classes are canceled and you’ve got a day off? Whether it was through a 6 a.m. phone call or through the unmistakable sound of plow trucks and Newscenter’s Storm Center theme on the TV in the background, you knew the day was about to get 100 percent more fun.
Snow days meant lots of things. Sledding, snow people, snow forts, snowball fights, snow angels. Skating, if there’s a pond available, or maybe skiing or snowmobiling. Maybe you had to help your mom or dad shovel before you got to do any of those things. A small price to pay for an otherwise excellent day.
After you’d officially frozen solid, you’d strip off your snow duds, hang those wet mittens up and eat a proper snow day lunch. The first course is a mug of hot cocoa. Second course, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Third course? Cartoons or games.
When the pandemic forced school districts to adopt remote learning for much of 2020 and 2021, there was talk that that would be the true “end” of snow days, with teachers switching to virtual classes when school is canceled due to snow. Public outcry seems to have mostly nixed that idea, however, and teachers can’t exactly pivot at a moment’s notice to switch their entire lesson plan to virtual. Snow days are seemingly safe from that threat.
The real problem, it seems, is the sheer lack of snow. The precipitation we’ve gotten so far this winter has been largely in the form of rain — and lots of it — with only one significant statewide snow event in early December prior to today.
During the winter of 2022-2023, Bangor schools only used three out of the five allotted snow days, and the same in the winter of 2021-2022. The winter of 2020-2021 saw the lowest total snowfall in Bangor history. In years past, many school districts would use all five and then more, and would have to add extra days onto the end of the year to make up for them.
What do you think? Are snow days in the traditional sense going to gradually disappear, and with it a treasured part of childhood? Or is this all blown out of proportion?
Sound off in the comments or send an email to [email protected]. And please share your favorite snow day memories from when you were a kid — favorite activities, favorite indoor fun, favorite snow day treat.
We’re Mainers. Even if it’s not the same these days, winter is still a big part of our identity.