The weather that the US is facing, currently, is seemingly doing far more harm than good. While California is being hit with wildfire after wildfire, the majority of the nation, all the way from New England to Florida, is getting hit with a cold front that is resulting in subfreezing temperatures. Arctic winds have been pushing into the United States, and for the last couple of weeks, as well as the next couple to come, the winds have caused the northern US to face temperatures far below zero, as well as the Midwest and South to receive some of the lowest temperatures yet in their region.
Unlike the northernmost parts of the country, the southern and midwestern regions never experience the type of temperatures that have been a constant hassle recently. Some states that barely, if ever, see snow in the winter are now getting it, as well as other unfortunate weather conditions that go along with cold fronts. These states are unequipped to handle the weather and don’t have the right systems to get through it unscathed. Some towns in these states even have above-ground plumbing and pipes that are having trouble working due to the cold temperatures, making their start to the new year less than ideal.
Across the nation, however, any place that is being affected by the arctic airs is having hard times. Driving is getting more dangerous as roads are severely slippery due to ice, and the high wind speeds have created a domino effect as power goes out. If driving in these conditions is bad, then walking is so much worse. Many students at HHS face this exact predicament. Juniors and seniors alike, as well as anybody they drive, have to walk from the far lot of the school to the main entrance. The walk isn’t long, however, with the low temperatures and high winds, the walk can feel much longer. Freshman Anna Galvin describes, “Walking wasn’t too bad, but since the dip in temperatures, I dread the morning walk every day.” Others chimed in on the annoyance of carrying a jacket around at school since walking to school without a jacket only makes the trudge ten times worse. Though it seems tedious and unworthy of complaining about, the difficulty of carrying yet another item in school weighs on the traveling minds of teenagers. Those who walk to and from school have it the worst, compared to those only walking from the far parking lot, due to the longer span of time that they’re outside. Most walkers aren’t far from the school, but just as the walk from the far lot feels longer than it is, so does the walk to and from houses. An avid walker, Charlotte McViney, says, “The walk to school is usually annoying, but with the temperatures in Hingham right now, especially in the morning, it’s awful. By the time I’m in the doors of the school, I’m freezing.”
HHS also had heating issues lately, so in some classrooms the temperature was dangerously low. With no heating plus the below-freezing temperatures outside, classrooms in different wings of the school were almost unbearable. It was harder for students to work in the cold, and as student Madeleine Sweeney comments, “It made it difficult to focus during tests and quizzes, especially when we had to write an in-class essay and it was freezing.”
The hazardous weather currently unfolding across the continental US is impacting everyone. Work and other activities have either been delayed or prolonged by the arctic winds, which has made basic everyday tasks more difficult. Everyone can only hope that these conditions pass through the States quicker rather than later.
