Written by Heather Priestley
Weather in Blacksburg can be very unpredictable. Students tend to dress in layers, since it may be freezing in the morning and in the 70s by afternoon. It often feels like Blacksburg goes through four seasons in just one day. Raincoats and umbrellas are definitely a must at Tech, because it rains a lot. In the winter, students are faced with a few inches of snow now and then. Winter is best known for its biting cold winds that whip at students as they cross the Drillfield. Classes are rarely cancelled because of snow, though ice has caused the University to shut down in the past. The rule around Blacksburg is that if public transit is still running, then Virginia Tech classes are probably still on. While there isn’t any place to ski or snowboard in Blacksburg, students still get out and play in the snow. On- and off-campus students grab laundry baskets, trash bags, trays, and sleds, and head out to hills to go sledding. The Drillfield is transformed into a gallery of snow creations and the battlefield of the annual Cadet Versus Civilian Snowball Fight.
Blacksburg weather is notoriously indecisive. It is not uncommon to have to struggle through blustering snow and biting wind on the way to class, just to step outside an our later and find a calm, sunny afternoon. Just when students begin to get sick of the gloomy, cold winter weather, the warmer days begin to ease back in. Spring tends to come abruptly, and students respond by bringing out summer clothes way earlier than necessary. In the summer, it can get pretty warm, staying in the high 80s and 90s. Since most dorms lack air-conditioning, fans are a must.