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The Antelope

The Antelope

The Antelope

Unpredicted weather patterns impact Kearney community

antelope+issue+8
antelope issue 8

IAN KAHLER
kahlerid@lopers.unk.edu

Monday, Nov. 11 was a glimpse of what’s to come this winter to Nebraska. With a low of 8 degrees, wind chill of 1 degree mixed with snow and ice, walking in the Kearney area was a nightmare. 

Mitul Patel, a business intelligence major, is an exchange student from Gujarat, India and is still becoming accustomed to winter weather.

“Some parts of India had some snow, but not close to where my family lived,” Patel said. “I lived in Lincoln for three years before coming to Kearney, so the colder weather doesn’t surprise me as much.” 

The weather for the remaining week was significantly warmer and felt like a typical Nebraskan fall week with temperatures in the mid-40s and low 50s, with the forecast stating that the new few weeks will follow suit. While the wicked Nebraska storms aren’t new, the odd weather patterns are. 

“It’s bizarre with how rapidly changing the weather is in Nebraska,” said Thomas Prentice, senior music performance major. “I feel like I have to keep my fall clothes at the ready, but make sure I have my winter gear ready to go as well. It’s a headache, but Nebraska is like that I suppose.”

According to the National Weather Service, the Midwest is predicted to have a brutal weather season ahead. Talks of blizzards, ice storms and harsh negative temperatures are ahead and don’t seem to be changing for the long-term forecast. 

“It’s so hard to believe what you see on social media or on the weather forecasts” Prentice said. “I remember one time UNK cancelled classes due to a supposed devastating blizzard coming towards us overnight that was hyped up, for it to be 30 degrees and sunny out the next day. So from now on, I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Prentice isn’t alone in thinking that the forecasts predicted for the winter aren’t as crazy as they sound. Amber Neben, a senior early childhood education major, gave her thoughts about the upcoming winter season. 

“I’m not too worried about the winter months ahead,” Neben said. “I’m mostly worried about the roads being icy and slick.”

Different parts of the world have different types of weather patterns, and India has experienced heavy rain storms that have damaged communities across India. 

“While we didn’t have blizzards in India, we had monsoons and heavy rain storms that were equally as harsh to our communities,” Patel said. “Impassable roads, damaged houses and people injured from the flooding were something we had to deal with for a long time.”

While Patel didn’t experience these kinds of cold and snow filled storms in his home country, since moving to Nebraska, he has experienced the chilly weather in plentiful amounts. 

“While the snow doesn’t bother me as much, the wind mixed with the cold is definitely the worst part. Walking to class or to work in the negative degree weather is definitely my least favorite part of winter months in Nebraska,” Patel said.

Nebraskans will see what the winter months bring us in the coming days and weeks leading into the end of the year.

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