In my favorite TV show, “Gilmore Girls,” Lorelai Gilmore famously wakes up in the middle of the night to a startling revelation: “I smell snow.” Although the first flake had yet to fall, Lorelai could sense it was coming. She just knew.
I do not share Lorelai’s gift for predicting weather patterns, a fact I was reminded of last week after stepping out of my dorm to see a winter wonderland beginning to form. I had forgotten to check the weather that morning, but considering I always wear at least three layers once the temperature dips under 50 degrees, I was nevertheless prepared.
Snow on the South 40!
I’m not a fan of the cold (hence the layers), but I do love when it snows here. I am constantly reminded of how beautiful this campus is, and never is it more picturesque than after that first snowfall, when the old buildings stand atop a glistening white carpet.
Needless to say, I was excited to see those flakes falling.
Now that winter is starting to arrive in St. Louis, there are many ways I like to ring in the season. That day after my classes were over, I came back to my dorm and immediately whipped up some cocoa with my suite-mates. Warm drinks are one of my favorite things about winter, and campus is full of them. I’ve spent the last week going to the many coffee shops across campus to try their fall and winter specials, including apple cider, hot chocolate, and lattes flavored with pumpkin, hazelnut, or peppermint.
Graham Chapel
As I’ve written about before, one of my favorite traditions at WashU is Tuesday Tea, during which I spend two hours in the Danforth University Center (DUC) each Tuesday, feasting on free tea and scones. I love getting to sit by the fireplace in the DUC and warm up with a hot cup of tea as I watch the snow fall outside the windows.
There are often moments when I feel like I’m at Hogwarts, and the first snow of the season is always one of them.
Brookings Hall
But, alas, the temperatures have risen and the snow has melted. Just yesterday I saw a student walking around in a t-shirt and no jacket. It seems fall isn’t quite over yet, but I’ll try checking the weather app more to see how much longer it’ll last.
A dog in the snow!
