New England: the part of the United States where one minute it’s 50 degrees and the next we’re in a winter advisory for snow. It’s where half of one state gets floods and the other half is unaffected. It’s where the weather is the only thing more unpredictable than even Kanye West.

I’ve heard from both sides about the argument in my suite alone: the mild winter is great vs. the season has been a disappointment; “I want to move somewhere warm” vs. “Where is all the snow?” Living in New England for 20 years, you’d figure that by now I’d be completely used to the idea of neurotic weather. But in reality? I’m as confused as southerners experiencing snow for the first time.

My weather app claims it’s 40 degrees and rain, while my neighbor’s app says it’s 20 degrees and to expect snow, and still the news has something entirely different to declare. Wake up, New England, and get it together. For once in my life I’d like to know if bringing a jacket will result in being too hot or not warm enough.

Overall, this winter has been a blessing. I’m sure there are climatologists and others that would argue against this – the skiers out there that have been deprived of a normal season, for example – on the fact that we’ve essentially had no snow. Sure, there was that one storm that bypassed Amherst completely, yet dropped two feet in other locations, but since then? Nothing. We’ve dropped into the negatives a few times, but overall, Massachusetts has been relaxed, rainy and fairly warm, which is just fine by me.

I can’t lie, a little snow here and there is fun, and who wouldn’t mind a snow day? That delay we got last week was helpful – it didn’t affect me, of course, but it’s proof winter happened at least. But walking around in a long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt in the middle of February is so much better than showing up to class shivering and unable to feel my fingers or cheeks.

This weather has lessened seasonal depression, increased my motivation to actually leave my dorm and get food rather than bundle up in a blanket burrito and snack on ramen and doesn’t make me dread getting up for morning classes. In fact, I’ve actually gotten into the habit of sleeping with my window open. I know, right? My window open in February?

I’m a summer baby born in the wrong part of world because I spend roughly four to five months loving New England and then hating the rest of the miserable snowy experience. Casually asking around, it seems while I’m not the only one that finds the cold more than a little biting, I may be one of the few University of Massachusetts students that is quite content with the lack of any true winter disasters so far.

And with spring only a month away, I can only hope it stays like this.

Aly Nichols is a Collegian contributor and can be contacted at [email protected].