Clothing confusion

Sweaters, jackets, cardigans, crewnecks, flannels; I have nothing to wear. I wake up every morning and ponder what I want to wear in this weather. I look outside and see clear skies and bright sun, but when I look at my phone, it says it is currently 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a low of 65 and a high of 90. What am I supposed to wear? Do I wear a hoodie for a cold mid-afternoon breeze, or do I stick it out and hope that it might warm up?

I question the weather every year in Nebraska. I ask, “Why does it have to be Nebraska? We are in the middle of the country. Can we just get a decent day of weather around here?” Then, somewhere out of blue, we will have one decent day of weather in a week. We will all dress for the weather, but then it will be windy in the afternoon. I almost want to just look at the sky or wherever the wind is coming from and say, “You win. This is checkmate.” But sadly, every winter the weather reveals its true secret weapon: snow in April.

Around this season we also see waves of heat. Some like to call it an “Indian Summer.” This happens when a heat wave comes during the autumn season and lasts for a few days at a time. With this in mind, we may wear jeans and a sweatshirt one day, and a tank top and shorts on another day, all in the same week! This is the wild weather that is Nebraska. We may have our weather apps telling us that there is a tornado, but we look outside and all we see is the sun. 

If I have learned one thing from living a year in Nebraska, it is that the more I try to figure out Nebraska’s weather system, the more confused I become. I try to dress for what the weather app tells me, but I am always disappointed. I will either have to shed a jacket or sweatshirt midday or make a trip to my dorm room to add layers. How can we come out of rooms every day prepared for the weather Nebraska has in store for us and still be surprised? It can give hail, snow, sleet, rain, and sometimes even golf balls, and that’s when we’re lucky. Good luck out there.

By: Gabriel Sanders