The week of Valentine’s Day 2021, all of Texas faced a rare snow storm. This was the first time in history where the whole state was under a winter weather warning.

Many in Melissa lost power, internet, and water, which caused people to have to evacuate their homes and stay with friends who still had power. Texans all over the state had to stay in cold homes with no way to get water as countless numbers of pipes burst and water treatment facilities also lost power. Churches, homeless shelters, and even some schools opened their doors to provide “warming centers” for those in the cold.

“I lost power for three days,” sophomore Cerys Verlander said. “We slept in the living room with a thousand blankets, and we kept a fire going. We eventually went to my grandparents’ house because the cold got unbearable. It was like a fun adventure for sure.”

Some families who had power also opened up their homes for people to stay.

“I didn’t lose power, but we had two families staying at my house to keep warm,” sophomore said. “At one point there were three families running around my house.”

Despite the devastating cold, many students got out to play in the snow with family and friends.

“I played outside with my siblings,” Verlander said. “We made snow angels, took some pictures and had a snowball fight.”

The snow also canceled many extracurricular activities and postponed others.

“I was not able to do any of my extracurriculars, which was so sad,” Gustaveson said. “The snow also postponed the performances of our musical ‘Curtains,’ which was hard for all of us in the cast.”

This was the first time northeast Texas got a snow day in a few years, so students were surprised they got an unexpected week off.

“I was shocked that we had gotten so much snow,” Verlander said. “I hadn’t seen that much snow since I was little and so it was so much fun.”