My junior year of high school, I was finishing basketball season and preparing for track and field. The arrival of spring meant spring sports starting and that also meant running outside… or so we thought.
With the unpredictable weather patterns and snowfall that never stopped, our track was flooded so we had to run around the neighborhoods. Once we finished our warmup and had to work on events, we had to move to the gym. Even better, we ran in the hallways of the school.
I always looked forward to the idea of traveling for hours to a track meet at 5:00 in the morning, and while waiting for my events I could enjoy sitting in the sun. I rarely did. I sat in the wind, snow and gray sky. This was not what track was supposed to be like in the spring.
Every year, we had snow on the first day of spring sports. Every single year. The only year that it didn’t snow was during quarantine, so that was unfortunate. COVID-19 was the only time it truly felt like spring, and we couldn’t do anything, so it didn’t matter that we had warm weather every day.
March 19 marked the first day of the spring for 2024. It is now April, and I don’t feel the spring air. Instead, I feel the wind giving me chills along with the light snowfall we have still encountered.
When I think of spring, I think of flowers blooming, warm weather and the start of the rainy season. I still believe that’s what spring is about, but not in Colorado. Colorado is not a state that experiences spring. You have fall, winter, warmer winter and summer.
The weather is unpredictable. You have to wear a coat in the morning to stay warm and then halfway through the day you just need a jacket or even a T-shirt, but then in the evening and into the night you will need more than just a coat to stay warm.
Unpredictable weather comes with lingering snow. My absolute favorite attribute of spring with snow is the surprise storms that show up with no warning. You enjoy a 70-degree day and then wake up to snow the next day, which is great. With snow continuing and brief rainy days, you can expect nothing but mud. It ruins plans and gets in the way of outdoor activities you were hoping to enjoy.
Allergies also drive up even more during this time of year, which makes everything worse. With certain trees and flowers blooming, you never know what’s going to affect you.
It’s worth mentioning that spring on campus means the flowers on the trees outside of the University Center bloom, and they bring the worst smell you could imagine. The distinct smells that arise during spring are interesting and not in a good way.
Spring doesn’t bring good times and butterflies; it brings depression and misguided weather patterns that ruin plans and make you wish it will end so summer will arrive. I hate the spring season, but I’m excited for summer to come our way.
Snow after a recent storm. Photo by Megan Moen.