On Friday, March 20, Villanova University students woke up excited for the first day of spring and the free Rita’s Ice that comes along with it. But, winter had decided to send one last reminder that it was not completely ready to end. 

According to the National Weather Service, the Philadelphia area received a total of 4.5 inches. The snow came after a period of hotter temperatures, during which students traded their heavy winter jackets for lighter options. But, they had to fish them out of their closets once again Friday morning. 

For students like senior Business School student Alexa Bosso, snow on the first day of spring came as a disappointment.  “I thought it was ironic that it snowed on the first day of spring,” said Bosso. “I have a big car, it’s usually good in the snow, but this time even my car couldn’t handle it, I got stuck in the ice at one point. I called the leasing office at my apartment to ask them to fix something in my apartment, and they said they couldn’t fix it because they were so busy shoveling snow.” 

But snow didn’t stop everyone from getting a free first day of spring treat from the Rita’s Ice in Bryn Mawr. Students scraped ice off their windshields, or hopped on the off-campus shuttle for a free cup of water ice. The Bryn Mawr store posted several pictures to their Facebook page of the shop packed with customers wrapped in hats and scarves, excited for dessert. 

“When we went there wasn’t anyone else in there because it was pretty early,” said student Maddie Smith. “But we asked the owner and he told us that it had been surprisingly busy all day considering the weather.” 

Resident assistant Melissa Lee, said that her freshmen residents used the snow as an opportunity to have some fun, several of them making snowmen outside of their dorm. 

This season, the Philadelphia area received 26.9 inches of snow, almost five inches over the seasonal average of 21.8 inches. For students who remember last year’s snowstorm, this year did not warrant nearly as many snow days, nor as many inches of snow. 

Philly.com called the 2013-2014 winter the “second snowiest winter ever in Philadelphia” with nearly 67.4 inches. This is second only to the 2009-2010 winter, which racked up nearly 71.6 inches. 

Social media blew up with tweets and posts from students commenting on the irony of snow appearing on the first day of spring. Some excited about the day, while others complaining that it was time for winter to end.  

Despite some minor inconveniences on campus, and melting snow and ice, which made for a slushy next few days, Villanova students remained positive. Friday night’s AcappellaPalooza had a great turnout, and students supported the men’s basketball team both at home, and in Pittsburgh, during its tournament game on Saturday.