Minnesota winters are known to be frigid, and the weather outside is currently meeting those expectations. Right after President’s Day weekend, a cold weather warning was issued for three consecutive days, with temperatures dropping between 15 and 20 degrees below zero. As a result, being outside has become quite discomfiting.

When temperatures get to these icy temperatures, many BSM students hope for a two-hour delay or, even better, a cancellation. The students who suffer the most in the cold are those who rely on the bus as their transportation to and from school. The bus schedule can be unpredictable, and if your bus driver is running late, standing outside in such freezing conditions can be dangerous. On top of that, many students have to walk several blocks to reach their bus stops. “It [riding the bus] was really bad and it was super cold on the bus. Many other kids [and myself] had to walk [to the bus stop] and we’d be freezing. Then we’d make it onto the bus and sometimes some heaters didn’t work,” junior Riley Rohr said.

The cold weather does not only affect students who take the bus. Sophomore and junior students at BSM park in the Beth El Synagogue located across the street from BSM. Every day students have to walk to and from this lot, and sometimes spots can be limited. It can be difficult to find a parking spot especially if you arrive late to school. If there are no spots available, students must resort to parking in the neighborhoods that are located even further away from BSM. “I parked in the neighborhood when it was cold and I had to walk all the way to school. I ended up being late for school, and [I felt like] I was dying because it was so cold. I thought my fingers were gonna fall off. I think it was negative 10 [degrees that day] and we didn’t have school off,” junior Greta Steinke said.

The majority of the junior class at BSM drives themselves to school. Many cars don’t start when the weather gets this cold. It can be hard for students to get to school on time or at all if their cars won’t start because of the cold weather. Lots of students won’t have a ride to school if their car doesn’t start. “One time my car didn’t start due to the cold weather. I didn’t have a way of getting to school because my parents were already at work. I didn’t get to school until an hour later,” junior Nora Potter said.