Mid 20th Century: Evergreen, a Winter Wonderland
Loyola magazine looks back on some epic snowfalls
Photo of the Jesuit residence, before it became the Humanities Center, by James Karmrodt Lightner, ’49. Date unknown. Courtesy Loyola/Notre Dame Library.
Winter is a magical season, especially on the beautiful Evergreen campus. The grassy Quad transforms into a snow-kissed wonderland, providing the perfect backdrop for snowball fights, sledding, building snowmen, or snowshoeing.
Historically, Baltimore typically has received a little more than 21 inches of snowfall annually, but some years, the city—and campus—have been slammed with larger storms.
Students on campus during the blizzard of 1979 might remember when 60 students competed in a snow sculpture competition on the main athletic field. The teams created 17 sculptures depicting a wide range of subjects, from the crucifixion of Christ to Winnie-the-Pooh.
Or perhaps you recall missing a full week of class during the storm of 2003—at the time, the longest period the University had ever been shut down.
Then there was Snowmageddon in 2010, when Baltimore got 30 inches of snowfall in six days, and Loyola canceled classes for 10. “The best part of snow week was definitely the campus-wide snowball fight. I loved being able to play in the snow, even in college,” Bethany Delcuze, ’12, told the Evergreen Annual yearbook.
Most recently, Baltimore witnessed its last major storm in 2016, when record-breaking winter storm Jonas dumped 29.2 inches of snow in two days. Classes were canceled for several days, and the 64th Annual Bull & Oyster Roast had to be rescheduled for April.
These days, snow is a rarer weather event in Baltimore, so when the flakes fall, it’s an even more special opportunity to grab that cafeteria tray and hit the lower courtyard hills.