When thinking of winter, most people in Idaho think of snowfall, natural pine trees, and skiing. When I think of winter, I think of rain and it being 50-60°, the many amusement parks being Christmas-themed, and bringing out the good ole’ plastic Christmas tree that is probably is as old as me.

With all of the people from California moving to Idaho Falls, people from there have some opinions on it. Well, it’s drastically different from what we’re used to. Our summers can get to be over 100° and the coldest we get is maybe 40°, and most of us have never seen snowfall until we moved here. While we do have snow on the mountains that you can visit, and in the Northern part of the state there’s some snow here and there, I’m from the San Fernando Valley. It’s one of the hottest places to live in California, with it being a valley and trapping heat. As I have moved to Idaho recently, I believe this qualifies me to jump into this topic more. 

Let’s talk about snow; I don’t like it. It sticks to everything, makes it hard to see and drive, it is hard to pick up, and it is an overall inconvenience. I hate walking outside and having to run to my car because it feels like it’s -10° when it’s actually somewhere around 30; but I know I’ll get used to it eventually.

Ethan Lebel, an Idaho native, stated, “I mean the winters suck, but at least we get a snowy Christmas and snow days. I enjoy how the snow looks, but I hate the cold that comes with it. But I do love how much it snows. I feel like the best time for it to snow is during December and January.” We share some of the same feelings, but not all. 

Thunder Ridge parent and California native Roy Carlon elaborated his feelings, “I don’t like cleaning the snow off the car every morning, nor the snow that finds its way into the house. But I really do enjoy it; it’s weird seeing snow so often since I only lived in warm climates.” He also said he enjoys the tradition of going out and getting a natural Christmas tree rather than an artificial one. 

So, it can be stated that there are positives and negatives to an Idaho winter. But let’s give us newcomers to the state a little sympathy and support as we navigate these new conditions we live in.

This article originally appeared in The Oracle