Thirty different countries, 25 different states, meaning 55 different winters for incoming students. But at Williston, there’s only one winter. The Willistonian spoke to several students and teachers about how they prepare to face the cold weather.

The key to staying warm is preparation. The winter cold front usually starts from the early days of November and can drag all the way until the end of March. Luckily, community members have developed helpful ways to stay warm throughout the fierce Easthampton winter.

Junior Dominik Behrens, from Hamburg, Germany, prepares for the cold winter by “wearing a warmer coat towards the end of November and a scarf and hat throughout December and January.”

Dominik also added, “My Timberland boots are a huge factor. It is hard to survive the snow in Nike trainers.”

He feels that the most crucial factor when it comes to staying warm is “try[ing] mostly to stay inside, don’t go outside for too long.”

The brisk Northeast winter hits us hard, especially when we are unprepared. Throughout winter it is very tough knowing how to prepare when the weather is so inconsistent.

Intellicast is a website that tracks weather reports, the historic average low temperature in the month of January 11 degrees, while the average high temperature is 33 degrees.

In January of 1961, Easthampton had a record breaking temperature of 30 degrees below zero, according to Intellicast.

Colin Mann, the Director of Choirs, is from Buffalo, New York and is living in Easthampton for the first time. Mann is no stranger to brutal temperatures. When preparing for winter, Mann said he “keep[s] a shovel in my car and make sure where I know where my boots and hat are.”

Both Dominik and Mann agreed staying inside is a good option when the weather gets too tough to bear.

Dominik said that when it is too cold for outdoor activities, it is best “to stay inside, watch childhood favorite movies and drink hot chocolate.”

Mann wanted to add some activities he thinks best fit the winter forecast.

“Catch up on some reading, make a nice bowl of soup, and watch a Christmas movie.”

Ashley Jenkins is originally from New London, Ohio, but spent the last six years in South Florida. She says it’s not the cold that you must be ready for, but rather the lack of sunlight.

“I try to anticipate the lack of sun,” Jenkins said. “I never realized how much I need the sunshine to make me function. It isn’t the cold that really bothers me, but rather the infinite darkness.”