HEREFORD ZONE — While much of the Hereford Zone spent the day digging out after the latest winter storm, one Monkton neighborhood turned cleanup into something more familiar and far more fun.
Just a few blocks from Hereford High School, sleds, snowboards, and tubes lined a backyard hill that generations of neighbors have claimed as their unofficial snow-day headquarters.
The hill once again became the centerpiece of a tradition passed down year after year.
For Sam Cairo, the snowfall brought more than just a day off; it brought the chance to share a childhood experience with her kids.
“I was really hoping that we would get a lot,” Cairo said. “My boys have never experienced a real blizzard, so I was hoping it would be all that I heard.”
Though the storm didn’t reach historic levels, neighbors say it delivered plenty of snow for a full day of outdoor fun. Kids spent hours sledding, snowboarding, building snow towers and, in at least one case, sampling the snow itself.
When asked what his favorite part of the snow was, young Ryan Cairo didn’t hesitate.
“Eating it,” he said. And when asked what it tasted like? “It tastes like snow.”
The hill sits behind the home of Donald Brown, who has lived in the neighborhood for years and says the slope has long been the go-to spot whenever winter weather hits.
“That’s the neighborhood hill that most of the kids sled ride on,” Brown said. “Almost everybody in these houses, the kids use this hill. We’re just keeping the tradition going.”
Brown has seen his share of major storms, including the blizzards of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when snow totals reached as high as 77 inches in his front yard. Compared to those winters, he says this storm was mild — but still worth celebrating.
“This is nothing,” Brown said with a laugh. “This is just play time.”
Nearby, siblings Colton Lehman and Maddie Lehman took full advantage of the snow day. Colton said the forecast alone was enough to spark excitement.
“I was really excited because I knew we weren’t going to have a lot of school today,” he said.
Maddie says the hill has been part of her life for as long as she can remember.
“I’d say most of my life pretty much every year it snowed,” she said, adding that it’s “definitely” the best hill in the neighborhood.
While the kids focused on fun, adults balanced playtime with responsibility. Shovels scraped against pavement as neighbors worked together to clear driveways and help each other dig out.
Megan Lehman said that teamwork is just part of life on the street.
“We have really great neighbors who have equipment that plowed the whole driveway for us,” she said. “I’m very blessed to have them.”
As plows eventually make their way through the area and routines return to normal, residents say the snow will melt — but the tradition won’t.
Because in this corner of the Hereford Zone, a snow day isn’t just about the storm. It’s about community, memories, and a hill that keeps bringing people back, one winter at a time.
