The Italian word tormenta has three definitions. It can mean a blizzard. It can also refer to a turbine of powdery light snow carried by strong winds over mountain peaks, ridges, and slopes. It is also a present tense conjugation of the verb to torment.
This should give you a pretty good idea of what many Italians think of snow. It’s an opinion I wholeheartedly share! After so many years of living in Michigan, Colorado, and New York, I had my fill of snow. “Basta. Enough!”
A surprise tormenta!
Over the weekend, we were surprised by an early snowstorm and a power outage.
This set the stage for an interesting outing. Towards the end of our evening out with friends, the power went out. Thankfully, our pizzas had already arrived. I never learned if they were able to use their electric pizza oven later on.
The irony of it all!
The only places I want to see snow are in movies and on Christmas cards. So I find it ironic that we made it through a 3-week trip to New York, Connecticut, Indiana and Michigan without seeing any snow. Snow is not uncommon in those states, even in November.
We enjoyed beautiful weather throughout our trip. It was sometimes a bit chilly, but many days were pleasantly warm. Still, knowing that cold and snow were sure to arrive made us anxious to return to our temperate Mediterranean climate. So, I have to appreciate the irony of our early snowfall!
Snow in Italy!
Our area, near the southern Adriatic coast of Italy, doesn’t usually get much snow. Many areas of Italy do, especially in the mountains. Which is fine with me; let it stay up there. I don’t want it, even if it is pretty!
Let’s learn some snowy words!
Maybe you like snow, enjoy learning languages, or you’re simply curious. Or perhaps you even have a winter trip planned to Italy. If so, here are some words that might be fun or useful to know!
| Italian Word | English Translation |
|---|---|
| la neve | snow |
| la nevicata | snowfall |
| la tempesta di neve | snowstorm |
| la tormenta / la bufera | blizzard |
| il nevischio | sleet |
| il fiocco di neve | snowflake |
| la palla di neve | snowball |
| il pupazzo di neve | snowman |
| il gelo | frost |
| il ghiaccio | ice |
And a sprinkling of wintery words…
| Italian Word | English Translation |
|---|---|
| l’inverno | winter |
| il freddo | cold |
| il caminetto | fireplace |
| la stufa a legna / la stufa a pellet | wood stove / pellet stove |
| Natale | Christmas |
| il tè / la tisana | tea / herbal tea |
| il minestrone | soup |
| la tazza di cioccolata calda | a cup of hot cocoa |
| Il cappotto | winter coat |
| il cappello | hat |
| i guanti / le muffole | gloves / mittens |
| intimo termico | thermal underwear |
| il maglione | sweater |
| la coperta | blanket |
| il piumone in piuma d’oca | down-filled comforter |
| il pattinaggio su ghiaccio | ice skating |
| fare snowboard | snowboarding |
| le racchette da neve | snowshoes |
| l’hockey | hockey |
| sciare | to ski |
| gli sci | skis |
| le scarpe da neve | snow boots |
| la slitta | sled or sleigh |
| andare in slitta | go sledding or sleigh riding |
For safety’s sake, let’s look at terms for roads or driving.
| Italian Word | English Translation |
|---|---|
| la spazzaneve | snow plow |
| il mezzo spargisale | salt spreader |
| le catene da neve | snow chains |
| le gomme da neve | snow tires |
| le gomme quattro stagioni | all-season tires |
| la pala da neve | snow shovel |
| le strade scivolose | slippery roads |
| il raschiaghiaccio | ice scraper |
I continue to see snow and snowstorms as tormenting. However, as with everything, I try to accept them with gratitude. I search for the blessings God brings, even amidst things I don’t particularly like. For instance, the blessings we can find even on cold and snowy days. Warm and cozy things such as tea and tisane, hot cocoa and coffee, minestrone, cozy blankets, fireplaces and pellet stoves.
I hope that you enjoyed this wintry post, and that you’ll manage to stay warm, cozy, and healthy this winter, no matter how cold it gets!
Photo credits: Mittens by Jill Wellington via Pixabay | Others are mine.
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