A Husky’s guide to a snow day in Storrs

Every now and then when a blizzard hits Connecticut, the members of UConn’s administration make the rare decision to cancel classes and save students the long, cold, and often dangerous walk to a lecture they’re only half paying attention to (you know I’m right).

While this may not happen as often as we would like it to, it’s still a good idea to be prepared for when you wake up to the anticipated text that no classes will be held. While staying in and watching Netflix seems like a compelling idea in this situation, UConn also offers a ton of other activities to do when you suddenly have an extra 24-hours on your hands.

To sum it all up, here’s a quick guide on different ways to spend a snow day in Storrs.

Try sledding on Horsebarn Hill

A favorite pastime of many UConn students before us has been to sled down Horsebarn Hill as soon as it’s covered in enough snow for that to be possible. The hill has enough of an incline and is long enough to make the ride down exhilarating and fun.

Get creative with what you use as sleds—everything from trash bags to plastic storage container tops to dining hall trays are fair game. If you want to get creative and have a canoe or kayak on hand, those have been known to make decent sleds. Since there’s no need to own an actual sled, this activity is one that requires little preparation.

Go ice skating with some friends

Another great thing to do with friends on a snow day is to go ice-skating. A lot of Huskies are unaware of the fact that UConn has it’s own rink located behind the Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. Though the rink offers public skate times, there are also openings when only UConn students can skate.

As an added bonus, if you own your own skates, coming at these times is entirely free, but they also offer skate rentals for those students who don’t have their own. While not everyone is an expert at ice skating, it’s still a fun and active way to spend time with friends.

Watch (a lot of) Netflix

Sometimes we just don’t have the motivation to put on 56 layers of clothes, 3 pairs of socks and chunky snow boots to venture to the outside world. If you’re one of those people who has no desire to leave the comfort and warmth of his/her bed, no worries. A snow day at Storrs can be just as enjoyable if spent watching Netflix–although, I don’t really see how this is different than most other days. If one of your friends has a TV, you guys can all get together and spend the day switching between shows and eating bowl after bowl of popcorn.

Catch up on some work (ugh, I know)

I know, I know, I shouldn’t even have put this on here. To be fair, getting ahead now will only give you more time to procrastinate and slack-off later. There’s only so much sledding and Netflix watching that a person can do in one day. I’m guessing not many of you will opt for this option, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Of course there are many other fun things to do with your day off from classes. But if you’re like my friends and I, chances are when the time comes, you’re stuck sitting around with no plans. Hopefully, this guide gives you a place to start so that you can make the most of your snow day.

Enjoy an impromptu snowball fight/Make a snowman

While pushing on through the snow to make it to the nearest dining hall, UConn students often find themselves in the crosshairs of an ongoing snowball fight. Rather than brushing off the snow to continue on your pursuit of food, take some time to get involved in the game. Not only will you have a ton of fun and make new friends, you’ll burn some extra calories so that you can eat even more once you make it to the dining hall. If snowball fights aren’t up your alley, you can always go out and build snowmen with your friends.

Struggle to walk through 6 feet of snow to move your car for the benefit of parking services

Nothing says “Snow Day” like getting a text at 5 in the morning telling you that you have to move your car into a parking garage so the lots can be plowed. Sure you don’t have to go to class, but you still have to leave the comfort of your bed to trek to C lot, which may as well be in another town. Thanks, Susan.