The day is Monday, December 10. Winter Storm Diego has just dumped more than a foot of snow on the unprepared village of Clemmons. Cut to me, a 17 year old girl wrapped in more layers than imaginable, laying in my half-shoveled driveway, filled with defeat. I get up and begin the back-breaking work once more, feeling a little bit of my soul leave my body with each load of snow. It is here that I finally accept the conclusion that has been ruminating in my mind since the day I was born: snow sucks.

Now, before you close this article in a fiery rage, I ask that you hear me out. I am aware that to speak ill of the fantasy-inspiring white fairy dust that drifts from the sky each winter is blasphemy in its worst form. Because of this, I have kept my mouth shut, scared of alienating those around me. However, I simply cannot contain myself any longer. I have to speak up for what I know to be true.

Let’s start out with the most basic reason of them all: snow is both cold and wet. Not fully rain, not fully ice, when the temperature hovers around 32 degrees fahrenheit, snow begins to fall. Some people like to play in the snow, the reason for which escapes me, but when they do, it melts, covering the frolicker in both ice and frigid water. After about 10 minutes of snow exposure, one begins to feel like a miserable human popsicle, and afterwards, when one attempts to warm up, an awful, terrible, inescapable itchy feeling sets in as the blood begins to reheat. The obvious counterargument to this point is that all someone needs is the proper, water-resistant clothing to block out the cold, to which I say, where can I find some? I’ve tried every article of snow gear on this earth, but none has been impenetrable to the repetitive attacks of said frozen precipitation.

Next, snow prevents anyone from leaving the house. As one who enjoys a daily excursion, being cooped up in the same place all day tends to make me go a little stir crazy. They call it cabin fever for a reason. And after a winter storm such as this one, leaving the house is impossible for days at a time. Being locked inside often leads to increased tension and family spats, which isn’t fun for anyone. Don’t even get me started on when the power goes out. Snow storms are simply a perfect recipe for trouble.

Finally, snow gets really ugly really fast. Sure it’s beautiful when it first comes down, blanketing the town in white, sparkly dust. But once the plows roll through and the sun comes out, snow quickly turns into brown, dirty slush. It lines the sides of roads and lingers in shady spots for weeks after its appearance. Despite our best efforts, we can’t get rid of it on our own and have to hope for rising temperatures to wash away the naturally-occurring eyesore.

To sum it all up, snow just isn’t all that great. In an ideal world, one would be able to play in the snow without hindrance and then wish it away when they were all done. The reality of the matter is that snow is cold and wet and (eventually) ugly. While some will be wishing for a snowmageddon part two this winter, I’ll be hoping for rain.