High School West’s Deep Freeze

ENTERING DAY 10 OF THE FREEZING STREAK ON LONG ISLAND:

2/2/2026 – High of 30°F…Low of 12°F

2/3/2026 – High of 30°F…Low of 22°F

2/4/2026 – High of 29°F…Low of 10°F

2/5/2026 – High of 26°F…Low of 12°F

2/6/2026 – High of 28°F…Low of 13°F

2/7/2026 – High of 21°F…Low of 5°F

2/8/2026 – High of 15°F…Low of 8°F

( – Accuweather)

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Temperature influences a lot of things for students at High School West: clothing, extracurricular activities, sports practices, and transportation. In the warmer months, it is common to see students walking around in shorts and t-shirts, drinking water with ice cubes in it, and trying not to melt as the temperature hovers around the seventies. Recently though, more and more children enter school in their winter coats, boots, and gloves. This is a direct result of how the outdoor temperature, that has remained below freezing, is impacting students’ life in High School West.

Not only does temperature impact clothing though, it impacts practices of student activities. If you stay after school during the week, it is not uncommon to see students that participate in Winter Track running in the hallways due to poor weather conditions outside. “It is so hard to run once it gets into the teens or single digits, and also very hard to breathe.” 9th grade girls winter track runner Rachael Bank shared, “Recently, I’ve been able to do indoor workouts but it’s not my favorite due to the space being limited.” These conditions cause runners to have a harder time practicing speed. In addition to this, when running outside, the conditions are not always the safest due to the ice that coats the track and sidewalks. “It’s hard to give all of your energy during a workout when it’s that cold, you feel like you can’t move!”.

As many may know though, temperature also influences the weather in which we experience. Yes, I am talking about snow. Dix Hills has experienced a lot of snow this year, the most being ten to twelve inches on January 25, 2026. Resulting from this, children across Long Island were granted a snow day on the following day. In addition to this, earlier in the season, the district had a two hour delay due to snowfall. These weather patterns allow for children to hit the slopes with their sleds at locations such as High School East and Vanderbilt Elementary School, while also allowing for subjects, such as “Zoom Snow Days”, to be broached.

As we near February break, these cold temperatures lead to many burrowing inside, resulting in a cozy environment where one must adapt to keep warm. Although it is cold, the students at High School West continue to push through and keep up their phenomenal work as we enter the third quarter of the school year. Despite the frigidness outside, the talent within students still shine, through events such as Art Day and the AASO Performance. So, as Albert Camus once said, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”.