I always wondered what would happen if it snowed in South Texas. Despite having already lived through quite a few winters here, I thought the universe would never deign to answer this question for me....until today.
I woke up early in the morning and was groggily wandering about when I happened to look out my window. My jaw dropped. Everything was covered in a layer of white and although I had heard that it was going to snow I didn't know it would be so much! So I decided that I would brave the cold and go down to the university to see what people were out doing on a snow day.I slogged out to my car to try and brush the snow off of the windows. Apparently that takes a lot more skill than I possess, because the snow was sticking obstinately. So I slogged back to my apartment, filled a bucket with hot water, slogged back to the car, and half-heartedly poured it over the front windshield. Voila! It did manage to melt the snow despite leaving a crust of ice on the lower half. Good enough for me, I thought. Until I climbed in my car and realized that what I was left with was literally two holes to look through in the front, not to mention the back window and side windows were still crusted in stubborn snow - making visibility impossible. Northerners will mock me but I am a tropical girl at heart and really thought of this as a true dilemma.
OK, no driving then. I could walk. It was cold but not windy so I assumed I would survive just fine (and I figured that classes and work were cancelled for a reason - South Texans have no clue how to drive in the snow). I bundled up as if the Arctic north were awaiting me outside and set off. Then I noticed South Texans do not know how to walk in the snow - and also do not have shoes with proper traction for walking in the snow. People were slipping and sliding across the street, inching little by little in order not to fall. Of course, students were out early gathering the snow for snow fights, building tiny snowmen (not enough snow for normal sized snowmen), and generally in awe at the sight of Austin covered in snow. Having already gotten my fill of snow angels in Utah and Minnesota - as well as having been shoved into a 3 foot snow drift by my impish brother (where I proceeded to sink like a stone and flounder about until a friend kindly fished me out)- I wasn't up for playing in the snow.
I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing Austin in a different light. Being as this is possibly my last year here, I feel so fortunate to be able to have a winter that differs from previous ones. I finally got to see it snow in Texas :)!
