The spring semester has begun, and, despite what the name might suggest, warm weather is certainly nowhere to be found. As we all settle into the routine of classes and try to survive the cold, it’s imperative to find a hobby that staves off January’s gloom. That, of course, is television.
Here’s a list of the best snow-filled TV episodes from a longtime sitcom fanatic to lift your spirits during these dreary days.
“Three Days of Snow,” How I Met Your Mother: Season 4, Episode 13
“Three Days of Snow” follows a three-day saga of interwoven stories set during a 2009 New York City blizzard. When two college girls in the Arizona Wildcats marching band stumble into MacClaren’s Pub, Ted and Barney try (and fail) to win them over by running the bar for the evening. This results in an idea for a new bar name (Puzzles!), an angry Carl, and the entire Arizona marching band in Ted’s apartment. Marshall and Robin venture out into the blizzard to pick up Lily from the airport, while Lily lugs a keg of Seattle beer through the snow to continue one of the couple’s cherished traditions.
Their separate struggles resolve in a heartwarming scene at airport arrivals, when the guys employ the Arizona Wildcats marching band to serenade Lily with a brassy rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” All to say, next time Boston is hit with a snowstorm, brave the weather and venture out—if you’re lucky, you’ll get swept up into a drunken marching band and end up playing the trumpet at Logan.
“Carol of the Bells,” Ted Lasso: Season 2, Episode 4
It’s nearly impossible to write a winter-themed TV column without a few Christmas episodes slipping through the cracks. If there is any Christmas episode that deserves its flowers, it’s Ted Lasso’s “Carol of the Bells,” in which Ted struggles to get into the holiday spirit on Christmas morning while thousands of miles away from his son. Richmond’s owner, Rebecca, makes it her mission to cheer him up.
Roy and Keeley partake in “not-so-sexy-Christmas,” going door-to-door on Christmas day to find a dentist for Roy’s niece. On the other side of the city, Rebecca’s inside access to local children’s Christmas lists sends Ted and Rebecca wandering through the streets of Richmond in elf hats with bags of presents. The two end their holiday by serenading the rest of the team at Higgins’ house with a rendition of Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
This final scene’s Christmas magic—the beloved Richmond soccer team dancing and singing through the streets—transcends the calendar constraints of holiday specials, making it the ideal January pick-me-up.
“Love & War & Snow,” Gilmore Girls: Season 1, Episode 8
For any Gilmore Girls fanatic, this episode is nostalgic for a variety of reasons—its witty, fast-paced writing, an opening scene of a meeting at the town hall, and, most importantly, the introduction of Lorelai Gilmore’s infamous “I smell snow.”
Per Lorelai’s prediction, snow falls over the small town of Stars Hollow, leaving Rory trapped at her grandparents’ house in Hartford as Lorelai snuggles up with her new beau—and Rory’s English teacher—Max Medina.
Back at Luke’s Diner, the beloved owner, Luke, squabbles with a band of Revolutionary War reenactors in the town square. The three survive the snow in their respective setups, with each storyline delivering its own heartfelt, cozy cup of winter nostalgia to get you through the cold.
“LAXmas,” New Girl: Season 4, Episode 11
Though set in sunny Los Angeles, this New Girl episode captures the season’s spirit when a winter storm delays the friend group’s flights home for the holidays. Stuck in the chaotic LAX Airport on Christmas Eve, the gang executes a series of absurd attempts to navigate the mass of travellers and get on their planes.
Jessica Day makes frenemies with Billy Eichner as a flight attendant, Schmidt and Cece sneak into the airport lounge, and Nick and Winston fake insanity to divert other hopeful flyers on standby. When Jess gets cold feet about visiting her British boyfriend’s family in their Tudor-style mansion, Nick stages a rescue mission to get her on a flight to London, fueling arguably the best television slow burn of all time.
Though oftentimes nonsensical, the friendship between the five roommates is full of nothing but love, proving that the best remedy to the January blues, or any blues at all, is some New Girl.
