You wake up dreading the long school day ahead. Unfortunately for you, your math test, in-class English essay, and history quiz have all fallen on the same day. As you open your curtains, letting light into your room, you’re blinded by a white abyss, the trees and the cars covered in blankets of snow. You rush to grab your phone, wondering if maybe, just maybe, your school has declared a snow day. 

Though snow days are relatively rare, students always enjoy the relaxing break that they offer. To fully exemplify the significance of snow days, we have asked a few students to share their experiences. Sophomore Tess Levy shared, “When I was younger, I would always look forward to snow days,” but now Levy said that “winters are feeling warmer,” leading to the decrease of these joyous days. Levy believes these special breaks were more common when we were younger, creating a childlike feel to snow days that only our generation has experienced, adding to the special joy they bring. Levy is also not alone in her concerns about warmer winters, as Sophomore Gia Agresta expresses similar feelings. Agresta remembers only having one snow day last year. “You can take [snow days] as days to spend with your family, as well as days to study and catch up on your work,” describes Agresta. For both students and teachers, the winter semester at Poly is a time of rigorous work, deserving, as Agresta explains, a desired break. 

While discussing leading causes to this suspected decrease in snow days, Agresta shared worries about climate change. Seeing the “Climate Clock” online has exponentially increased her fears because it shows how pressing of an issue climate change is. The website for the clock, climateclock.world, states that the clock works to, “count down the critical time window to reach zero emissions (our ‘Deadline;), while tracking our progress on key solution pathways (‘Lifelines’).” As of April 2024, this “deadline” will be July 21, 2029, when the “carbon budget” will be depleted, resulting in an increased chance of “devastating global climate impacts.” In other words, when the clock reaches zero, there will be very little we can do to stop global warming. 

Students are not the only ones noticing a possible change in the amount of snow days. Middle School Science Teacher and Interim Science Department Chair Christian Morehouse said he would not be surprised if there were a decrease in snow days over the past few years due to the effects of climate change.

 Are students and teachers justified in questioning the impact of climate change on the amount of snow days? In short, yes. We have already seen a significant decline in the amount of snowfall within the past five years. According to NBC New York, in 2019-2020, the total amount of snowfall was 4.8 inches, with a large increase in 2020- 2021 (during the height of the pandemic), 38.6 inches, and then a gradual decrease from 2022-2024, with the total snowfall in the past two years being 7.5 inches. As NBC New York says, validating the worries of students and teachers at Poly, the main reason for this drop is global warming, with 2023 claiming the title of “the warmest year in recorded history.” Therefore, as the globe continues to warm, the amount of snowfall will in fact decrease, resulting in a decline in snow days for the future of Poly Prep. 

So, how can students and teachers work to stop climate change and bring back a more consistent occurrence of their beloved snow days? Well, three easy solutions are to throw away less food, clean up your environment, and speak up to make others more aware of the significant issues that climate change initiates. At Poly, we offer a Sustainability SLT in the winter and the spring for anyone who wants to learn more about how we can save our planet. Snow days are a treat that we all deserve, so we should put in the work to prevent global warming and bring them back!