Yesterday, we got a weather prediction for a wintry mix: snow/sleet/rain. But as of 11pm nothing had fallen, so what does the school system do? They cancel school altogether for today, on the OFF chance we MIGHT get it!! UGH!!!

So this morning, I wake up... there is a little bit of snow. Not much to shake a stick at, maybe an inch, and there's none on the roads. Melted as soon as it hit. So why are my kids home today????

I just feel the school system makes the poorest decisions-- now the kids will have to lose another day, probably a spring break day when people already have plans. Now don't get me wrong, I want the kids to be safe, but heck, up in NH where my hubby is from, they didn't miss school for 5 feet of snow!!

Holly

__________________
Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

Hey Holly! I am so enjoying the SNOW DAY!!! The kids have off school and shockingly enough the college canceled classes for the day. They never do that, I thought for sure that I was going to have to drive myself up into the hills to be in class.

I think that maybe we got a little more snow than you. My road out front is covered with a slushy icy mix. No one in the neighborhood has tried to leave yet so I dont know how bad the road is.


Hope that you and the kids have a good day! Talk to you soon.

__________________
Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

Maybe they decided to go ahead and cancel early so people who needed to find child care for their kids could. It is probably a bit easier to do the night before than at 6 or 7 am.

I have had it happen one or two times where they canceled before anything had happened and it never did anything. Oh well, we had fun staying at home anyway!

__________________
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

We got about 2 inches last night. It rained all day then turned to snow. When we went to bed last night there was no talk of ANY schools cancelling. Oldest DD gets up before I do and didn't check (again there was no sign that there would not be school today). Sure enough EVERYTHINGS cancelled! I don't get it. They should be in today here, too.

Lisa

__________________
"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

In the 4 years we lived in Minnesota, school was only canceled one time. It had to be major accumulation for a cancellation.

__________________
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

Here in MS if anyone says the word snow they cancel school.

__________________
Brenda

GO #24 JEFF GORDON

It was the same thing when we lived in Memphis, TN. Mention snow and people freaked. Cleared the shelves at the grocery store, got snow gear, shovels, gloves, etc. All for 2 inches of snow.

__________________
I've never lied to you. I've always told you some version the of truth.

That freaked us out too when we moved to Kentucky from Michigan.
But around here, the school buses have to travel on so many hilly, curvy, narrow roads that they play it really safe for that reason.
The first year we were here, DH got really upset one day when the kids missed the school bus and he had to take them to school. Turns out they hadn't missed the bus, but school was closed because it was too cold! HUH? That is when we learned to put the radio on every morning!!!

__________________
Square dancing is friendship set to music!

I've said it once and I'll say it again:

We do not get SNOW days. The kids go to school, they are allowed to play outside unless the air temp and/or wind chill is below zero. The busses run unless it is 30 below (because at that point the fuel freezes in the lines). We've had white-out conditions and the schools stay open. We've had 16 inches of snow, blowing snow, -15 air temp w/ a -25 wind chill(you don't have to worry about runny noses--it freezes INSIDE your nose at that temp!)...the schools are still open. We've been up here 4 years and NOT ONCE has school been cancelled, even when the local Sheriff declared travel to be hazardous and travel should be done only if necessary.

It's all in your perspective I guess.

__________________
Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Our school district in Iowa doesn't make the official call until about 5:30-6:30 AM. It's because the weather is so unpredictable that you can't count on the forecast. This saves from cancelling school when it's not really necessary.

I live about 2 hours north of you and the schools here started closing down last night, too. But we got about 4 inches of snow plus now it's sleeting and freezing rain. There's been lots of wrecks too. It's a nice snowy day here and I've put on a big pot of homemade soup! I've cranked up the gas fireplace and am enjoying a nice cup of hot tea right now. I'm not going nowhere!! DH had to go to work, though, so the house is quiet.

I remember when I lived in Winston-Salem, there were a few bad snowstorms while we were there and our street wasn't plowed for days. I remember someone telling me that there was once a bad accident involving some schoolchildren when they'd left the schools open when it snowed and that's why they close them now when they're thinking it might snow. I don't know, but I remember that being told to me a long time ago. I also was told that Winston-Salem (Forsyth County) didn't have hardly any snowplows! But, of course, that was something like 20 years ago!!

It was like that when I was a kid. We had to have a REAL snowstorm and/or ice to cancel school. And, cold had nothing to do with it - it had to be where you couldn't travel. Even my kids get frustrated at some of the snow days they call around here - they're 1st comment (like this morning) is 'they're going to add days on in June - why did they cancel today?' I just have to say, 'I don't know - I don't think they should have.' It's ridiculous.

Our last snow day before Christmas, dds & I went shopping all day....they were really bad conditions, huh?!

Lisa

__________________
"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

It takes a lot of snow for school to cancel here as well. Last year, we had about a week of canceled school after the xmas holiday because of a blizzard. The streets were clear but none of the school parking lots were and none of the sidewalks were and tons of neighborhoods you couldn't even get out of. But if you could, the main roads got cleared. We didn't get any days added on that I know of. It was silly sometimes because were getting around town fine on day 6 but parking lots and sidewalks were blocked so no way for kids to get to school (unless they walked down the middle of the road).

__________________
Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I guess it's different depending on what type of area you live. We live in a rural area and there's no way kids could walk to school. We're talking not in blocks but in miles -- 10-15 miles at least and probably more. I honestly can't think of any kids around here that could actually walk to school. Plus we have lots of backroads and mountains. Some roads are only one lane and the sun doesn't hit some of the roads so it takes forever for them to thaw.

I live on the NC/VA border and all we got was rain...and lots of it, but we needed it pretty bad. Mention the word snow and everything shuts down around here. Our schools have closed for some stupid reasons and they always have to make it up on a day they don't want too....once even on a Saturday. The other day it was flurries and you wouldn't believe the stuff flying off the shelves at the grocery store where I work....it was CRAZY!

__________________
Proud Single Mother to 18 year old Twins Ashley/Davey, 14 year old Shawna, 5 year old Emma, and my Boo Bear, "Angel Hope" (1996-1997) RIP Boo.

here in NY they never announce it until 6 am and we are very rarely closed. If anything its a 2 hour delay.

__________________


"Never loan your car to someone you have given birth too"

I live in Maryland near the DC border. They predicted snow but it was clear until about 10:30 am. They make a decision to close early by 11:00 am. We had a couple of flakes before 11. About 11:15 am it really came down heavy. We got about 5 inches of heavy, wet snow. They never closed. We have a new principal from CA. She let the kids go outside for lunch recess. Our school never lets them go outside for recess if it snows. The kids had a great time but they came in all wet.

As you have all said, it depends on where you live, and the district's perspective. Another thought I have is that schools frequently close when there's a chance of storm for liability reasons. When I was a kid, that wasn't an issue....today it certainly is. I think they play on the safe side.

I live in Central Maine, so snow is just a part of our lives. Our school has used four snow days so far. We can use 5, and anything after that has to be made up in June. School isn't usually called off unless it is really bad. School does not get called off for a few inches of snow. We have had three storms this year with 12 inches or more....thats when they call school off. I can see both ends of the coin. I am a sub at the local high school and we have actually had school on days when I don't think we should have. Having teenagers out driving to school on a stormy day scares me. The three towns that attend are school are spread apart, so most students do have to travel a distance.
Well...we are getting a storm today and the buzz yesterday with the students was another possible snow day, but it didn't happen. We are only getting about 6 inches, not enough snow to cancel. Cancellations are done early in the morning, usually by 6:30.

Well we have had a fun week..at first school was supposed to be out Thursday/Friday and Monday....then they changed it to Friday/Monday/Tuesday...then we of course had snow, we got about 5 inches here at my house..so school was canceled..then we get this weird message from Alleghany School that now says school closed Monday, open Tuesday, closed Wed., open Thrusday, closed Friday..great....though it helps me on Tues. when I have to take Michael to get his cast off in Richmond...
We have a lot of small mountain roads that are dangerous to say the least, sheer drop offs, on the creek/johnsons creek nit counting 159 and the creek...the sun don't shine in those places in the summer..and in the winter they can be 10 degrees colder then town...so I understand...back in the day the storys the bus drivers told about gettng the kids home and to school were worth putting in a book...wish now some was around to tell someone the storys..until about 63 the school up here was still a small wooden building which was all the grades in one, including high school...
ahh the joys of living in the woods...lol

__________________
"Cast upon this globe without physical strength or innate ideas, incapable in himself of obeying fundamental laws of this nature which call him to the supreme place in the universe, it is only in the heart of society that man can attain the pre-eminent position which is his natural destiny. Without the aide of civilization he would be one of the feeblest and least intelligent of animals.."
Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

We haven't had a snow day yet this year. My DH plows for the NYS dept. of transp. and he has had a ton of overtime but the kids get so mad because dad has to "keep the roads clear for the buses!"

(you don't have to worry about runny noses--it freezes INSIDE your nose at that temp!)... Our local weatherman calls this "bugger freezing cold" when it get cold enough for this to happen!! It is true~ gets that cold and everything freezes!

I would have used the day to spend quality time with my children. Those days are far and few between for us. We both work.