Snow Drought: Broken!
On January 16, Edison, New York City, Washington, D.C., and other northeastern cities broke their 700-day snow drought by accumulating over one inch of snow.
While New Jersey has had snow on its forecasts for the past few years, it was never more than a thin coating. Such forecasted snow often turns into rain, eliminating the chances for a snowy winter. However, as the winter storm moved from the Midwest to the South, and then to the Northeast, bringing icy rain, snow, and freezing temperatures, it was clear that Edison had a chance of snow reaching its sidewalks, enough to make a snowman.
On January 16, parents received a call that school would be closed for inclement weather, amid the snow and icy conditions. Many students would wake up later to see snow on their doorsteps for the first time in years. Over one inch had fallen, officially breaking the snow drought that Edison and other northeastern towns had been facing for over seven hundred days.
“I was really excited seeing snow, especially since it doesn’t snow often anymore like when we were younger,” said Risha Bhardwaj ‘26. “Just seeing it made me feel happy, as it finally felt like a true winter.”
During the afternoon, the snow turned into rain, turning some of the snow into a sloshy mix. The temperature was expected to drop that night, icing over roads and sidewalks. Amid such news, the Edison school district called later that night to announce that schools would have a delayed opening. For Edison High, that meant that school would open at 9:30 a.m., almost two hours later than its regular schedule.
Many students expressed their excitement hearing the news.
“It honestly felt relaxing because I was able to sleep in and get some extra homework done,” said Bhardwaj.
For the next two days, Edison continued with their regular schedule, with after-school activities and club photos taking place on January 17 and 18. When walking through the breezeway to classes, many students stepped in the snow and made a snowball or two on the way.
A Snowy Week Continues:
However, anticipating heavier snow on Friday, Governor Murphy extended the state of emergency into Friday. Winter weather advisories had been issued across the state, as the highest snowfall accumulation could reach up to six inches in some parts of New Jersey. With this information, many schools announced delayed openings or school closures, including Edison High and all Edison Township Public Schools, which all announced that on January 19, schools would be closed for the day.
Essentially, the week of January 15 to January 19, a four-day school week due to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, turned into only one and a half days at school for Edison students. This unexpected short school week occurred only after nine days of school in 2024, which is around two weeks of 2024. For both students and teachers, this week felt like an extension of winter break.
“We just started to pick up the pace of lessons, and this felt like a new break all over again,” said English Teacher Ms. Michelle Curcio.
Many students reflected on the snow day week. For many, the days off called for relaxation and fun.
“Because of how short the week was, I don’t even count it as a proper school week,” said Madison Zaccaro ‘24. “I just spent the days off relaxing, hanging out with my friends, and making pizza!”
Other students used the week to catch up on work and prepare themselves for the following week.
“I was honestly able to get a lot of work done like my English project and some of my scholarship applications for colleges,” said Archit Dwivedi ‘24.
However, while some students utilized the days off to relax or catch up with their assignments and projects, teachers’ lesson plans were scrapped. Having one and a half days in school that week and just coming off the new year and winter break, lesson schedules had to be rearranged, which proved to be an issue for many teachers.
“For all my classes, especially my AP kids, it is a bit frustrating because we have a tight schedule to cover all the curriculum needed for the AP test,” said Ms. Jennifer Sidorksi, who teaches U.S. History II and AP U.S. History. “Days like these are a bit tough because we have to move things around.”
Similarly, other teachers noted that the snow days may have crammed assignments and assessments together, increasing stress for students once they returned to school the following Monday.
“I felt bad for my students because that meant that a lot of tests and projects would be packed together in a short period of time because of snow days and the delayed opening,” said Curcio. “It would obviously increase the burden on them and I don’t really want to do that.”
However, even with these struggles, teachers acknowledged that the main priority was safety.
“Although there were some challenges with the snow day when it came to scheduling, the main priority was safety, and it’s always better to take precautions,” said Sidorski.
Such safety of students and teachers was ultimately important, as the storm forecasted up to six inches of snow in some parts of the state, including around up to three to four inches of snow in central Jersey. According to NJ.com, Edison reported 2.8 inches of snow, while southern towns in counties such as Burlington, Gloucester, and Camden reported over five inches of snow, with the highest being 6.5 inches in Hopewell and East Greenwich. Additionally, ice, wind chills, and freezing temperatures posed a threat to student and faculty safety.
The Snow Saga Continues:
While many students believed that the snow would end in January, as Valentine’s Day came closer, more snow followed. While rain was first suspected on the night of February 12, snow would continue into the early hours of the morning on February 13, with Edison expecting around four to six inches of snow. A winter storm warning was issued for at least thirteen New Jersey counties, and a coastal flooding advisory for five counties, including Middlesex. Parents and guardians would later receive a call stating that students would have a delayed opening on the 13. However, the situation was still being assessed, and the next morning, parents and guardians received another call, and this time, all Edison Township public schools were closed for the day.
With more snow, many students expressed their happiness, remembering their childhood memories once again.
“I’m really happy we were able to get more snow this year,” said Vanshika Chib ‘26. “The heavy snow reminded me of winters when I was younger and I’m happy I got to experience snow again because I was worried we wouldn’t get any more snow this year.”
According to NJ.com, Edison recorded more snow than its January accumulation, receiving over 4.3 inches of snow. In Sussex County, some townships received over thirteen inches of snow. While January’s storm broke the snow drought, its accumulation in Central Jersey was minimal in comparison to the recent snow totals, with many towns receiving the highest snowfall in years.
Even though it took seven hundred days, Edison finally received the trademark of a Northeastern winter: snow. Deprived of snow for almost two years, New Jersey was not expecting snow, especially record-totals in its second snow of the year. Ultimately, the snow is a reminder of the Jersey winter students grew up with, and maybe soon, we will have more snow on our doorstep. Because for New Jersey, the cold never bothered us anyway.