Social media will always love a snow day

It was so (n)ice to see snow many people enjoying stories on the Arctic conditions around the world – sorry I’ll stop.

This week, as Britain got a little chillier and the US was battered by an out-of-this-world polar vortex, there was only one story that dominated the conversation on social media – the weather.

One of our most popular polar vortex stories from our travel desk here at The Independent was the freezing of Lake Michigan, resulting in some truly spectacular pictures.

As the massive expanse of water solidified and fog started rising from the surface (also known as the “boiling cauldron” effect), Twitter users started comparing the rather mystical scene to The Day After Tomorrow. With over 100,000 people interacting with the article on Facebook, and reaching well over 13 million users, it was one of the most discussed weather stories around that day.

Of course, this wasn’t the only snowy story that captured the attentions of our readers around the world; more than 100 drivers were forced to shelter in a pub in Cornwall to avoid a blizzard, a landing plane skidded off a runway in Tokyo, and people were freezing all kinds of things they maybe shouldn’t.

So why are we so obsessed with stories about snow? Well, as you no doubt know, weather stories will always have a special place in people’s hearts. From commuters creating a chair bridge to deal with flooding to roads melting in the extreme heat, weather chat is just as appealing and shareable online as it is offline.

But the massive influx of snowy stories on your timelines this week might also have something to do with other chilling topics… Like Theresa May’s negotiations with the EU and the US president’s latest antics.

As Brexit news rumbles on in a seemingly endless cycle of debate, lost votes, political gaffes and depressing headlines about stockpiling, maybe what people want is a little levity? Sharing a nice story about a beautiful natural phenomenon with some pretty pictures is much less likely to cause controversy on your timeline than a comment piece on the backstop. And you’d much rather share funny videos of people turning boiling water into mist than read about Trump pulling out of the nuclear weapons treaty.

Sometimes, for our own mental health on social media, and for those who follow us, a little break from the cold hard face of news is just what the doctor ordered.

Yours,

Josh Withey
Social media editor