By Danny Contreras
The 2011 Japanese exchange students experienced their first blizzard in the United States following the Halloween-weekend storm.
This was the first blizzard witnessed by the Japanese exchange students Sena Hamada, Yuki Ni-igawa, Kento Sawa and Yuka Mishima. The Kansai Gaidai University students were visiting Boston as part of a CCSU-organized trip. In Boston, it was raining for the majority of the day.
Kento, a native from Nara, Japan, laughed that “my parents don’t know it snowed here.” He explained that in his hometown it snows but that the typical snowfall does not compare to the one dumped by the Halloween Nor’easter.
According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, Osaka receives an average 50.35 inches a year in precipitation. June is the month with the heaviest precipitation receiving 7 inches annually; on the other hand, December is the month with the lowest precipitation receiving just a little under 2 inches. The average temperature for the region is 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yuki explained that the storm made the news in Japan, “mM parents knew from the news that it snowed here.” Yuka and Sena, however, alerted their parents. Yuka’s mother responded excitedly at first, “’Snow!” Before asking if Yuka was ‘Okay’?
The students also reacted to the university closings and the class cancellations. “Lucky,” said Yuka gingerly. Sena explained that she did not expect class to get any easier due to the cancellation, “I think it will be harder because I have a presentation and I haven’t been able to do it.”
“In Kaizuka City [Osaka Prefecture, Japan] sometimes it snows,” said Yuki in regards to her hometown.
They are expecting class to resume next week, however CL&P has released a list with estimates of when power should be restored and New Britain’s status has yet to be determined. The school is currently redirecting the power from academic buildings to the dorms, and the power is yet to be restored school-wide. It has been five days since the storm and there is yet to be any progress.