Snow Day Feb. 01 2016!

The Terraces Apartments in Prescott Valley, AZ

The Terraces Apartments in Prescott Valley, AZ

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My balcony covered in snow!

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My shoes covered in snow!

I have been living here in Prescott, AZ now for a little over 3 years. I’ve experienced three Northern Arizona winters and I can say without any hesitation that this year’s winter season has been the most active winter in the regards to snow fall and consistently cold temperatures in all the three years I have been living here. Some may say it’s too cold or it’s been too wet but no one can complain when you have 3 back to back two hour delay starts to the morning or  what we had this Monday which was our very first snow day of the semester! It’s is also my very first snow day at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and I am a senior this year!

After last year’s very disappointing winter this one has definitely made up for it. This recent snowstorm was more unique than the others we had roll through the area earlier this winter season. This storm brought with it blizzard like conditions with winds gusting at about 40 mph and heavy sleet turning into consistent snow fall dropping about 4-6 inches on the town of Prescott and Prescott Valley resulting in a Snow Day for everyone in the Quad City area.

Being from New Orleans, LA this is something I thought I would only get to experience vicariously through actors in movies. Now I know what you’re thinking… the only reason I love snow days so much is because of the fact that all classes are cancelled for the day but I enjoy it so much because most people that attend this campus are from places in the United States that don’t experience even a single inch of snow fall or a real winter so being able to see everyone’s inner kid come out to run around campus throwing snow balls at each other, or trying to build the most unique snow man, or sledding down the lower soccer fields, to even having my friends come over to my apartment for some English Tea, a nice bowl of Taco Soup next to my fireplace and just relaxing and enjoying each other’s company is what makes a Snow Day a true Snow Day.

Snow just has a way of making everyone so happy in this town (mainly because it melts really quickly so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of it for too long) and it’s just a great feeling to share that joy with all of the people that help you get through those long hard days when you just want to curl up in your bed and hide out until the semester is over. This snow day I had the time of my life and I am very optimistic and incredibly excited to see what Mother Nature has in store for us the remainder of this winter season.

Here are more photos from students around campus who went out in the snow!

Snow prepared!

Snow prepared!

Pedro and friends’ Giant Snowman

A snow break.

A snow break.

Snow in the pines

Snow in the pines

Even the fur beasts got in on the fun!

Even the fur beasts got in on the fun!

The Rare Phenomenon known as Thunder Snow

I was visiting a friend in Flagstaff, AZ this weekend at NAU (Northern Arizona University) (Flagstaff is an hour and a half north of Prescott) and we were working on homework Sunday night when all of a sudden we heard a loud BOOM! For a second we were both incredibly confused seeing that there wasn’t any chance of a Thunderstorm in the forecast for Northern Arizona and it wasn’t even raining outside in fact it was snowing!Image result for NAU snow

We ran to the door of the apartment to peak outside to see other NAU students anxiously looking out into the dark cold cloudy skies of Northern Arizona wondering if we weren’t all losing our minds. A few seconds later that’s when I realized what was actually taking place. I noticed off in the distance a series of lightning strikes flashing around the San Francisco Peaks followed by a mild rumble of steady thunder filling the silence of a quiet cold windy Sunday night — Thunder Snow!.

I have a passion for weather. Being a pilot, it’s something I’ve learned to check periodically throughout my day so being able to witness the very rare phenomenon known as Thunder Snow had to probably be one of the most rewarding experience I have been able to witness while living here in Northern Arizona!635898787435863929-lightning-strike2-ThinkstockPhotos-469850273

The definition of Thunder Snow is an unusual kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain and occurs in regions where a strong upward motion is present within the cold sector of an extratropical cyclone (Wikipedia). This is one of the many reasons I adore the state of Arizona because you have a front row seat to some of the most amazing and most unique weather events that you may not have the luxury of experiencing in any other states in the United States. All you have to do is step outside and look up!

Winter is Here!

Hey there everyone, it is that time of year again where it starts to get frosty outside! Embry-Riddle students in Prescott, Arizona really love the winter weather. It is our favorite time of year because in this state it is simply magical! Check out some photos from this week and see for yourself 🙂

Ice Crystals

Ice Crystals

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Yes it is!

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Amazing Ice Patterns

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A Drop of Water Frozen in a Leaf

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Snow Flakes Close UP!

As you can see potential students, it is definitely a University where you will need a decent winter coat. We recommend decent because as most students have stated, it only gets cold enough for you to enjoy the winter weather not cold enough to freeze off those fingers and toes. For those people who haven’t seen snow before this may be the place for you! As part of the college experience you should embrace new places and experiences, seeing the snow for the first time is the perfect way to start off! The majority of the freshman class is fascinated by the beauty of snow and frost every November and hopefully someday soon that will be you!

Get that application in and start looking for a coat! We would love to welcome you to our campus and hopefully tempt you into a snowball fight some day soon! If you are fan of frosty weather stop by and visit us today! We give super fun tours starting at the Welcome Center 🙂