The winter storm that came through much of New England early this week may have made travel less than pleasant — but it was well-received by school children who got a snow day.
Some kids and their parents in western Massachusetts took advantage of the first significant snowfall of the season to go sledding.
Behind the Mary M. Lynch Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts, Nicole Feliciano launched her son Desmond, 11, down the hill. A strong wind wasn't getting in the way of the fun.
“The kids had a day off of school, so we figured we’d come out in the fresh snow, and just kinda sled and play around before they have to go back,” Feliciano said. “They're having a pretty good time.”
Feliciano’s other son Joshua, 13, was at the bottom of the hill. He'd gone sledding, built a snowman and was working on a snow dog.
He said the news of a snow day was welcome.
“I was very excited, ’cause I could stay and I could play outside in the snow, and I really like the snow,” he said. “I really like this type of season.”
Behind another Springfield school — Mary Dryden Veterans Memorial School — lifelong snowboarder Kyle Bruno was sharing his passion with his twin children.
“Kids got a day off of school today,” he said. “Figured I'd make the best of it, and go snowboarding with them. Trying to teach them. They're four years old, and bringing them all the way to the mountains is a pain in the butt, to say the least, so we come to the hill locally and practice.”
On the same hill, Margaret Tabb had just finished sledding with her two daughters. Tabb is a Springfield school teacher and also got a day off.
Caroline, 9, said they enjoyed themselves.
“We made a big bump, and then we flew in the air when we went over it,” she said.
In Northampton, Sam Coates-Finke emerged from the woods Monday on cross-country skis with a little black dog named Moki. Not far from the Walmart, he was on a system of trails on conservation land that lead to Fitzgerald Lake.
Coates-Finke said he started skiing early in the storm.
“I skied through downtown Northampton last night,” he said. “It was awesome. It doesn't get better than that.”
He was skiing with Darla Stabler — her first time on skis.
“I have never been on skis in my life. It’s fun and hard,” she said.
Hard maybe because the snow was a bit wet, and these trails weren’t groomed. Skiers have to pack it down as they go.
About 30 miles west in Becket, Linda and Dave Bacon groom their trails every day. They own Canterbury Farm, a bed and breakfast with cross-country ski trails.
Linda Bacon said this storm made for an optimistic start to the season.
“We always like to see the snow come early, because it creates a wonderful base that we can work on top of for the rest of the season,” she said.
The Bacons started their business 35 years ago. In recent years, they said the snowfall has been less regular.
“It’s the inconsistencies — and possibly more ice rather than full-fledged snow storms that we get intermittently in the winter — which makes it more difficult to have a consistent snow condition, and being open consistently throughout the season,” Linda Bacon said.
Bacon has customers from Boston and New York. She said when people look out their windows and see it coming down, that’s the best advertisement. They open Tuesday — that is, after they get parking spots plowed out.
More snow is expected overnight Monday.
