Snow in the city? Don’t be afraid, I’ll explain the 5 most important points to you

Dear Grüezini (the mountain cantons are excluded today)

Yes, what you see on the ground there is actually snow. Do you still remember that? What you otherwise only know from the mountain tops of the ski areas has actually returned to the cities and lowlands of Switzerland after a year of absence. Anyone who is no longer used to it can rest assured. As a resident of Valais, I am, so to speak, a snow expert and would like to share my experiences in dealing with it with you in the hope of bringing Valais a little closer to the “Üssuschwiz”.

Before we delve deeper into the topic of ‘snow’, let’s first clarify the basics. Snow is formed when water vapor in the air at a temperature below 0 degrees freezes into ice and these crystals combine, and not from the extract of the leaves of Erythroxylon Coca Lam (coca leaves). There is a risk of confusion. Important information that could have saved me a lot of trouble after moving from Valais to Zurich. But that is an other story.

Very important: snow is malleable. The slopes on which you spend your skiing holiday are not a natural product that happens to be located in the mountains, no, they have been prepared by human hands. This is due to its physical state. If you see snow in the city, don’t be afraid to touch it (exception: yellow snow). By squeezing it several times, you can shape it so that it forms a firm ball – and voilà, your first snowball is ready to throw.

Even when a feeling of overwhelming power takes over you, you must be careful. Because in Valais they say: “He who throws must also expect to hit.” The insurance company does not accept that you say: ‘I didn’t want that’. Unless you know the insurance advisor, but that’s different in Valais.

Practically the most important thing about snowfall is that you have to share it on your social media channels – you have to, there’s no doubt about that. Don’t think that everyone will see the first snowfall when they look out the window. No, no, the more stories, the better. And your story is absolutely the most beautiful of them all.

An example from America of how to create content:

Best of all with “First Snow,” “Finally!” or “Winter Wonderland❄️” and you are part of it. Feel like a real one Influencer/influencer Content creators. Even in Valais, where it has been snowing for thousands of years, this tradition is celebrated every year, actually year after year – again and again. The first snowfall is pretty much the counterpart of your sunset, when everyone posts the fiery red sky in their stories.

In my years in Zurich I have not been able to find out whether you even know what snow chains or winter tires are. But I know from my time in Valais that our mountain roads there are regularly blocked by cars with AG, TG and TI license plates (a special greeting to all Dutch people). Okay, maybe it’s not worth buying for you because of the low snowfall. However, I have one more tip: the SUVs you parked on the city streets were actually intended for such scenarios and not for prestige and convenience. Give it a try!

You can feel, touch, smell (note: read point 1 again) or even taste snow. But it is still best to shape it. Snowmen are regularly built in Valais and this tradition could soon also spread to the cities. In Zurich you can call them ‘snow figures’ or ‘snow people’, that would also be contemporary.

To build a snowman repeat point 2 at least three times, but each time make sure the snowball gets bigger. No, no, wait, don’t throw it! No, this time you put the balls on top of each other. We recommend the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Now you put a carrot in the top ball, pointing towards the center, above that you place two buds that will serve as eyes, and below that you put a twig, that is the mouth. A second carrot is optional.

These five tips will help you get through the winter day. If you have any questions, the comment column is of course open. But if I don’t answer, it’s probably because public transportation in the city is at a standstill due to four inches of snow and I’m probably still on foot. In Valais on a day like this we said: “Ah, spring is coming!”