Trares
Nothing beats a snow day.
Looking out the window at an unyielding white blanket is a thrill I had forgotten. As adults, we lose touch with the unbridled fun that follows a few inches of snow.
Anthony was more than happy to remind me of all of this.
Meteorologists had been talking about it for days and anticipation was growing. Anthony watched the TV news with me, listening intently to the upcoming winter storm, the timing, and the likely inches we would get.
“Do you think we can play outside in it?” he asked me.
It was a welcome change from the winter of 2024. Other than a single Saturday morning of slushy, wet snow, we didn’t have a chance to go outside and play in the cold. No sledding down the local hills, no snow forts or snowball fights.
Anthony lamented the snowless and warmer-than-normal winter. His stylish red sleigh and new snowman-themed inflatable tube sat unused in the garage. Frustratingly, the only other winter precipitation we received that year arrived just as we were about to leave for a long weekend in Ohio, postponing our trip and causing more than a little pouting .
But we had a feeling this winter would be different. There had already been a few dustings of frozen powder in the yard, and even almost an inch in December. A big snowstorm was coming – we could feel it in our bones.
Those hopes came to fruition in early January, with predictions of a major winter storm hitting central Indiana. The impact was everywhere, from a few inches to more than 10. A routine trip to the grocery store for a few items we needed for the weekend turned out to be a mistake, as the aisles were packed with people who stocked up as they saw fit. if they were snowed in for months at a time.
The timing of the storm was also strange. Snow was expected to begin Sunday, gradually accumulating throughout the day and peaking overnight. My wife and I were already working from home, but Anthony was still on winter break from school, so there was no risk of a snow day.
However, we watched carefully through the window for the first snowflakes to fall. A few white snow showers fell early in the afternoon, which built up until a steady curtain of snowflakes fell.
Anthony went to bed with the certainty that we would face knee-deep snowdrifts in the morning.
And he wasn’t far away.
We woke up Monday morning under a white blanket. Eight inches of powder turned the yard into a winter wonderland, and Anthony gasped as he looked outside.
“It looks like Alaska!” he exclaimed.
He couldn’t wait to get out and play, and once I was able to take a break from work, we bundled up to check it out. I found his winter boots, waterproof snow pants, gloves, hat, winter coat and more in preparation for the cold. Once properly packed, we waddled our way out.
Anthony was so excited that he tried to run; he was so wrapped up in his cold-weather gear that he only took a few steps before plunging headfirst into a snowdrift.
His hysterical laughter belied how happy he was.
After shoveling the driveway, we went straight to the games. Anthony wanted nothing more than a snowball fight, so we split into teams – the Popsicles for him, the Polar Bears for me – and created bases of operations on opposite sides of the yard. I probably got him with a few more shots than him, but there was no doubt, as we laughed and screamed, that we were both winners.
We made a sort of bobsleigh track in the snow, first filling it with the sled before pushing Anthony up the slope in our backyard. He crashed more times than he completed the track, but he couldn’t have been happier even while falling.
About an hour into the game and it was time to head inside. We were cold, we were wet, tired but happy.
Although we still enjoyed snow the rest of the week, nothing compares to that first strip of untouched white we found Monday afternoon.
Now we’re just waiting for the next storm to head our way. The sleds are ready, the boots are out, and the Popsicles and Polar Bears are ready for round two.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist at the Daily Journal. Send your comments to (email protected).