Life
Spring is less than a week away, but it seems like mother nature wants you to remember that winter is still not over, because winter storm Stella is currently hitting the northeastern part of the country, bringing snow, sleet, and freezing rain to those living in major cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and Boston. If you happen to be young, single and home from work for the day, what do you do when weather conditions are less than ideal? If you're thinking, go on a dating app, duh, then you wouldn't be alone.
The relationship app Hinge, pulled together some data on how major storms, such as Stella, affect dating app usage. As it turns out, it's quite a bit. "We believe extreme weather conditions, especially those that keep young professionals home from work, results in free time to set up dates," Jean-Marie McGrath, the Director of Communications at Hinge, tells Bustle.
If you remember Winter Storm Juno in 2015, dating app activity spiked all along the east coast by 47 percent. On the Monday leading up to Juno, activity spiked 27 percent when snow started falling. So, people were definitely planning ahead and getting those last-minute dates in. So here's how Winter Storm Stella is affecting dating app usage right now:
1
Monday Saw 2X As Much Activity As Any Regular Day
On a typical Monday, dating app usage stays about the same throughout the day. But that totally changes on a snow day. Around 4 p.m., Hinge saw activity increase by double. Again, it's all about planning ahead.
2
Hinge Activity Increased 10x This Morning
More conversations were initiated on the East Coast this morning in comparison to a typical Tuesday, Hinge found.
Across the board, dating apps do tend to experience spikes in usage during unusual weather. Earlier this year, Tinder also saw increases in New York City during snowstorm Jonas.
So if you're staying in today with nothing to do, now's a great time to get on your dating app of choice and start a conversation with someone. Who knows? With spring right around the corner, you might even meet someone worth going out with when the weather is so much nicer out.
