Surprise! No school for a week! Snow is such a rare sight in Charleston, SC, one that usually appears once every 7-10 years. This year, on the night of Tuesday (January 22nd), a little piece of the North was seen in coastal South Carolina when roughly four inches of snow fell all around Charleston county. This storm of snow and sleet provided all Charleston County School District students with one Early Release Day and three E-learning Days. Every day for the remainder of the week, students anxiously waited for the email and notification informing them of the remote operations for the following day.
This special winter event gave students plenty of time to experience this abnormal event while allowing these days to still be counted as school days. This week was such a nice break from school especially as people are adjusting to school again after winter break. Also, this event had perfect timing since the next true break from school (with more than just an extra day or two off) is Spring Break in just over two months. From relaxing by the fire to snowball fights for hours these few days were by far the highlights of the year so far.
This is the first time since 2018 that snow has fallen in Charleston and it was actually a decent amount this year. Sleet began to fall an hour or two before the snow started falling and it snowed all throughout the night into the early morning. Because of the temperatures only slightly increasing and rising above freezing for merely hours, many roads were hard to drive on, causing them to remain closed throughout the remainder of the school week. While the inability to drive was challenging for some, it forced others to do what they could at their house. For many, they chose to take advantage of this rare phenomenon and play outside in the snow. Simply being able to see snow in Charleston was so cool, but experiencing it was even better!
Some students let out their artistic side by exploring a new medium: snow! Whether it be by creating snow angels or engineering snow pals, these creations were utterly beautiful. While the snow was mixed with sleet in most areas, making it more difficult to create snowmen or snowballs, students were able to look past this challenge and create them during this special circumstance. Lillie Sabine built an absolutely darling snow pal who was even attempting to stay warm himself with his cozy scarf. Lilly Sturm and Anna Grandin also made an icy friend, and in true Charlestonian fashion, he rocks a feather in his luscious hair crafted from Spanish moss and of course, he admires the winter wonderland around him using his monkey ball eyes. The bench adds some height to this creature and the tree in the back still brings the classic Charleston nature feel!
These students took the traditional approach to building snowmen, however, Jesse Hayes decided to express his artistic ability by crafting an abstract snowman defying the laws of gravity. As his smiling face looks to the camera he is charming as all get out. How cute!
Spencer Wilhelm shares that even though he had some e-learning work to get done, he was able to see snow on the beach. It was definitely amazing to walk around and take in these untraditional sights in South Carolina, and especially having the opportunity to see this winter weather all over the southern beaches! What a rare and beautiful sight!
While this spectacular sight was truly one to behold, some missed the classic sunny Charleston weather and chose to vacation. William Gable escaped the frosty conditions and paid a visit to everyone’s favorite tropical destination, the Bahamas!!! This picturesque view contrasted with the flurries seen in our typically paradise-like home. Man oh man does this make me miss summer.
Alicia Brown said that she took advantage of this opportunity when she made some snowmen and took walks around the neighborhood to take in the winter sight. Everything is so unrecognizable when it is covered in snow, so it is great to see your neighborhood in another perspective in this winter wonderland.
The snowy miracle was so much fun to play in! But let’s not forget, there was work to be done. While it is unfortunate that we were not completely off the hook as far as school work goes, the ability to do work online and at your own pace was freeing and allowed for the snowy days to be enjoyed as much as possible. Additionally, we are very fortunate that these days were technically counted as school days, so they do not need to be made up before summer break.
Luckily enough, for those who live near cafes or libraries, you could escape the cold by going for an aesthetic study session accompanied by warm beverages. I know for us going to my local cafe allowed us to truly lock in on my work and still be able to see the snow out the window and marvel at the glorious sight.
For those of you who decided to spend every minute of your week in the snow, we do not blame you for this decision. Luckily, Charleston County Superintendent shared her belief that these days are rare and the memories we create with them must be cherished. She announced that all remote learning work would not be due the day it was assigned – as expected initially – but rather due on the day we came back to school. This allowed students to fully enjoy their time without the stress of assignments looming and they could get them done after the snow had melted and the excitement wore off.
Unfortunately, we probably won’t see another week like this for many years to come, but how lucky are we that we got to experience this before we graduate high school in what are some of the best years of our lives?
In unison, all of the students and faculty of Charleston County School District say “Thank you, Anita Huggins!”
