This February, Hanover saw 39 inches of snowfall — up a whopping 37 inches from February 2024, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. High snowfall was accompanied by a decrease in temperatures. The average temperature in Hanover this February was 16.8 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to an average of 23.5 degrees over the same period last year.
Last year, these warmer temperatures impacted Winter Carnival events, such as the Polar Bear Plunge. In the past six years, the Plunge has been cancelled twice due to weather concerns. Unlike previous years, however, this winter has been “consistently cold,” according to geography department postdoctoral researcher Alexander Reid Gottlieb.
Gottlieb, who studies the effects of climate change on precipitation rates, said this year’s snowfall is “right around to even slightly below average.” Still, low temperatures have allowed snow to “stick around” more than previous years, he added.
“What really sticks out about this winter is not just the amount of snowfall that we’re getting, but the snow that we’ve accumulated,” Gottlieb said.
Some students welcomed the cold weather and snow accumulation. Winter Carnival Council co-chair Noah Da Silva ’25 said the snow and low temperatures were “perfect Winter Carnival weather,” yielding “thick enough” ice on Occom Pond for the annual Polar Bear Plunge — which was canceled last year due to warmer temperatures.
“[The weather] has a pretty big impact because [the] Polar Plunge is kind of the anchor of Winter Carnival,” Da Silva said. “It’s also just super helpful for morale for students to see the snow and see the ice.”
Heavier winter conditions have bolstered skiing as well. Dartmouth Skiway general manager Mark Adamczyk said this year has been the “best” of his five years working at the Skiway because of “sustained cold” and a “higher quality of the snow.” Those changes have allowed the Skiway’s natural trails to remain open throughout the season, he added.
The Skiway has also seen “fewer severe injuries” because of “softer” snow, Adamczyk said. Meghan Kerfoot ’26, who has been on Ski Patrol for three years, said this year’s skiing conditions have been “generally better” and “safer for everyone,” explaining that greater snowfall leads to fewer “hazards on the trail.”
“We’ve seen a ton of people coming out to the Skiway,” Kerfoot said. “Everyone’s really excited about it, which obviously we love to see.”
Ski instructor Cate Pittman ’27 added that skiing has been “more enjoyable” for new skiers this winter due to “the amount of snow” at the Skiway. When the weather is rainy rather than snowy — as was sometimes the case last year — less experienced skiers tend to feel “miserable,” she said.
“The weather this year makes teaching easier,” Pittman said. “For students that don’t have an appreciation for skiing, they enjoy it more when it’s so pretty and there’s so much snow.”
The burst of cold this year aligns with national trends. Gottlieb noted that Hanover and the United States as a whole have experienced “anomalously cold” temperatures this winter. He added that this year’s low temperatures should be viewed as a “one-off,” while “on average,” winters in the Northeast are “getting warmer.”
“[The Upper Valley] has just had a whole lot more of those cold arctic air outbreaks than normal this winter,” he said. “As far as we can tell, it’s just a kind of natural variability in the climate system.”
Through his research, Gottlieb said he has seen a trend of “unambiguous declines” in snowfall due to the warming climate. He added that long-term climate trends will be “less conducive” to activities like “skiing and skating.”
“I have sort of embraced the philosophy that you sort of just need to get it while it’s there and while you can,” Gottlieb said.
He added that he hopes these “enjoyable winters” will “encourage people toward climate action.”
For now, students are continuing to enjoy cold weather activities. Kerfoot said the weather has been the “highlight of the term.”
“It was awesome for Winter Carnival to get to do the Polar Plunge and have the snow outside,” Kerfoot said. “Personally, I absolutely love the winter.”
