Only 24 hours after the Homecoming bonfire roared in the center of the Green, students had a chance to play in the first snow of the year.
Although to some the first flakes seemed to come too soon this year, meteorologists from the National Weather Service said the snow is not particularly early.
A cold jetstream from Canada brought the snow to Hanover, said Geography Professor Vincent Malmstrom.
If the present weather pattern persists, the Upper Valley might see a six-week snowy spell, Malmstrom said.
But according to the 1994 edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac, "November through March is expected to be milder than normal. Snowfall may average about 10 percent below normal."
In the middle of the Green, students delighted in the white stuff, building snowmen and throwing snowballs at each other, while others opted for sledding on the golf course.
"I thought the snow was cool," said Ginet Kepa '97, who grew up in Hawaii and had never seen snow before. "A bunch of friends and I had a snowball fight. It wasn't even that cold."
Meanwhile, some snow veterans greeted the first snowfall enthusiastically.
"The snow psyched me up to go snowboarding, and I hope it doesn't stop. I'm looking forward to a winter as long as it can be," said Gen Kanai '95, a member of the Dartmouth Outing Club.
"It made me feel like I was back home," said Camille-Laure Masini '97 of Toronto. "I believe the snow will make up for the sub-freezing temperatures."
