Winter is different without the snow

By Jalen Woody
Special to the Times

During the winter season, one of the many staples of the holiday includes presents, laughter, joy, and, most importantly, snow.

Snow is one of the many contributing factors that the holiday season has begun. However, on Christmas Day this year, no snow was found throughout the Navajo Nation. The weather throughout the holiday season was sporadic, with frost, rain and wind all gathering to fog up the windows on our vehicles on cold mornings.

While many of the winter mornings this year did reach freezing temperatures, by the afternoon, the outdoor temperature warmed up and the frost on the car windows melted. This was the case most of the winter season. Without the presence of snow during the holiday season, the Christmas spirit seemed to dwindle. While many other factors contributed to the Christmas spirit, none hold higher regards than snow. These factors included the incorporation of the new “Grinch” meal at McDonalds, which began on Dec. 2, nationwide.

On Christmas day this year, the temperature in Window Rock, the Navajo Nation capital, sat at a high of 55 degrees, with a low of 37 degrees. Compared to last year, the temperature on the same day sat at a high of 45 degrees. There are many elements that can be contributing to warmer temperatures during the holiday season.

Regional climate change is a big contributing factor to warmer weather on Navajo Nation. In fact, a few years ago, in 2023, the Navajo Nation declared a state of emergency due to the extreme high temperatures that summer.

On July 26, one day after the state of emergency was signed into effect by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Vice President Richelle Montoya, the temperature in Chinle reached 97 degrees. The world is continuing to heat up. Many of the issues contributing to climate change are the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Vehicles running on these fossil fuels contribute to high amounts of carbon dioxide which is harmful for the environment.

Fires consistently plague the Navajo Nation, harming the environment further. In fact, over the summer, the Oak Ridge fire consumed over 11,000 acres of land within the span of 18 days. Due to the effect of climate change, many of the weather reports during the holiday season come back with little to no snow.

The holiday season does not feel the same without the snow. During the holiday season, one of the many contributing factors to how Navajo celebrate the winter months rely on the presence of snow. The Navajo Coyote “Mą’ii” Stories revolving around the narrative of the Coyote (Mą’ii) rely on snow for Navajos to enjoy.

In fact, it is often frown upon to view or read these stories before the first snow fall. This is not the only tradition that the Diné use snow to signal when to begin. The string game, where people use a tied-piece of string to weave together designs are not set to be done until the first snow fall as well. Without the presence of snow, the window to participate in these traditions and more continues to be pushed back further.

 

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