By Amanda Tennant, staff writer
There are a few things that truly terrify the Hawks at In- dian Trail High School and Academy. Godzilla, Michael Myers, Friday the 13th, the list goes on.
However, this year, an ominous foe is coming back to ter- rorize staff and students. The brutality and harshness from the 2013-2014 winter season is making a comeback. Arctic winds responsible for last year’s frozen, tundra-like conditions will be returning with full vengeance this winter.
As students groan and hide under layers of clothing some ask: why are these winds sweeping across the Midwest and causing the winter to be so cold?
According to climatechange.cornell.edu, the arctic winds are a part of a struc- ture called the polar vortex. The polar vortex circles the most frigid parts of the arctic in climatic, frosty conditions. When the polar vortex is at its stron- gest, there is shown to be calmer winters across the northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia. However, when the vortex weakens, the vortex splits into various patterns and large gusts of arctic air head south towards the northern parts of continents just as it did during the 2013-2014 winter.
These large gusts of air were responsible last year for the average temperature in Kenosha, Wis., dropping from 36.2 degrees to 30.3 degrees as said by live- weatherblogs.com.
Yet, with another tough winter ahead for students and staff at ITHS&A, the main focus across the board is safety.
IT’s custodial staff works hard around the clock in three shifts on weekdays and Saturdays. Their main objective in the winter time is to clear out the snow and ice from previous storms so the outside walkways and parking lots can be safe for students and staff to use.
“We have to remove the snow off the sidewalk and put calcium chloride down so people won’t slip,” said Keith Lehrke, Indian Trail’s head custodian.
As confirmed by Lehrke, on average, the custodi- ans use six to eight pallets of calcium chloride each winter. Each pallet contains 45 50-pound bags of cal- cium chloride.
Despite great care and effort into making sidewalks and parking lots safe, students are still advised to take great care when walking outside.
To avoid slipping in icy conditions, wear proper footwear, use handrails whenever possible, and take small steps to keep a sense of balance.
Though the winter fury may come down to grace students and staff with its presence once again, as long as Hawks approach the winter in a safe, respon- sible manner, the arctic winter will be absorbed back into its northern climate just as quickly as it came.