With over 57% of weather stations in America showing a decline in snowfall, students discuss the loss of childhood memories associated with snow for future generations.

“I remember some time ago, we had a hill behind our house that we would always go sledding on with cardboard boxes, and it was really fun,” Green Action Club co-president and senior Aarini Pareek said. “Snow actually made me feel like it was the holidays. Especially when getting school off, it felt more happy and more light for me.”

Green Action Club sponsor Carey Anderson said she loves the four seasons of Indiana.

“For snow, I like to snow ski, make snowmen, and snow angels,” she said. “My favorite memories of snow were always when I spent days with my friends though, when we had days off school.”

“My favorite snow-related memories would be going out with my siblings,” sophomore Bea Maurer said. “I associate (snow) with holidays and winter memories, so when it snows, it just reminds me of wintertime and Christmas.”

Both Pareek and Maurer said they think snow is an essential part of the holiday season. 

“I think because of all of the Christmas songs and decorations too, the whole Christmas vibe is surrounded by the idea of the white Christmas,” Pareek said.

“For me, if it doesn’t snow during this time, Christmas doesn’t feel as Christmas-y. Even New Year’s doesn’t feel the same,” Maurer said. “And I noticed that it’s been a lot hotter this year especially, which makes it snow less.”

“We also have snow later in the season, compared to getting snow in December or January,” Anderson said. “I think now we get more (snow) in February, even March, so maybe (climate change) has changed the months we have snow in.”

Maurer said she pointed out how snow used to be a consistent occurrence to look forward to.

“Now, we’re not really seeing that happen anymore,” she said. “It’s more sporadic, I would say.”

Though climate change, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, isn’t just causing less snowfall in general, but rather more extremes on the spectrum of precipitation. 

“Climate change can make snowfall less reliable in a way,” Pareek said. “Areas that never get snow might get quite a bit of snow, and a lot of areas that usually get snow get a lot less. Climate change and global warming just make the whole weather system unreliable.”

Winters have gotten a lot more unpredictable as well, according to Pareek. 

“They start off really cold or really mild and then suddenly switch around,” she said. “A couple of years ago, we predicted a really harsh winter and it started off that way but really quickly got warm.”

For the future, Maurer said she thinks snow might not be so closely associated with winter anymore.

“(Snow) might be something that just happens sometimes instead, and future generations won’t have time off like we used to have,” she said. 

“I think with less snowfall, a lot of people won’t realize how fun winter can be and will feel more distant from the winters of our childhoods, and the winter songs, and winter vibes,” Pareek said. “(Future generations) might feel a little disconnected from that past.”