Face it: Snow can suck, and that’s not just the Floridian in me talking. It’s not only cold, but it’s also hazardously slippery, it melts into slush, and it looks nasty after a few days. Unfortunately, this is St. Louis, which means we could be done with snow for the year or it may still be hitting us in April. So I guess we should be prepared to make the best of it. There are a few St. Louis traditions that embrace the white winter flurries and even get you off campus when you have cabin fever.

First, there’s ice skating in Forest Park at the Steinberg Rink. Located at the back of Forest Park toward the School of Medicine, the rink offers a city park skating experience that rivals ice skating in Central Park. The snow-covered landscape and the Central West End buildings that peek over the trees create a gorgeous view as you swirl around the rink. During the winter, the rink is open seven days a week: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday. It costs $6.50 to skate and $3 to rent skates. To get to the rink, take MetroLink to the Central West End, and cross back over Kingshighway to the park. The café at Steinberg offers food and hot chocolate to warm you up. If you get a group of friends together to go skating, I guarantee it’ll be a good time, despite the 8-year-olds who will do triple salchows while you’re falling on your butt.

Aside from ice skating, there’s also the long-held tradition of sledding on Art Hill. The aptly named Art Hill is the big slope in front of the art museum in Forest Park. Whenever there are a few good inches of powder, the hill is perfect for sledding. For decades, people of all ages have ditched class and work to head to the hill, so I recommend getting there fairly early in the day so you’re not left with an icy, muddy sledding experience. The bonus to this activity is that it’s absolutely free. And if you don’t have a legitimate sled handy, you have an opportunity to be innovative. Pointers Pizza boxes are always a good option, but they’re normally only good for a few runs. I’ve also heard food trays or large garbage can lids work well, especially when the underside is spread with Pam or some other cooking spray.

So, can snow suck? Yes. But now you’ll be prepared with something to do the next time you just can’t stand staying inside anymore trying to wait it out.