scrappinghappy
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Post by scrappinghappy on Dec 15, 2016 16:00:58 GMT
"Our typical procedure to determine school closings related to cold is that if it is actually 20 below zero or greater temperature-wise, we consider school closure. We also consider closing if wind chill is 35 degrees below zero."
School is also closed/has late arrival or early dismissal if it is unsafe for busses to travel - lots of snow. Cold weather - no problem - all our busses have starters if the battery is flat due to cold.
This is in NW Chicago.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 15, 2016 16:07:46 GMT
I love the fact that they will consider closing for extreme cold! However, I live in a city where the mere mention of possible snow flurries causes runs on milk/bread/booze at the grocery store. Heaven help us if it actually snows! That will shut us down for a couple of days minimum!  Save |
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paigepea
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Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Dec 15, 2016 16:23:39 GMT
When we lived in Edmonton, Alberta they didn't close school when it got to -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit according to google) . I wish they had! It was too cold for my students to wait for the bus so I had maybe 1-2 kids in each block. What a waste of a day or two. I would have preferred curling up at home in front of the fire.
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Dec 15, 2016 16:43:26 GMT
I can remember a couple times school was closed due to cold. It was -25º (actual temp - not windchill).
All our buses are diesel, and although they run winter diesel in them, it can still gel up in extreme cold. The buses are all rural route buses - so quite a ways from town, if one quit. They aren't that warm to start with - and if it is -25º with a 40 mph wind, it's going to get really cold, really fast, on that bus.
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Post by brina on Dec 15, 2016 16:44:58 GMT
Interestingly, we are just north of Chicago - the high school is open and my dd's K-8 is open, but all the other schools that feed into our high school are closed. With tomorrow the last day before Christmas break I figure lots of families are going to keep their kids home tomorrow as well.
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Post by genny on Dec 15, 2016 16:49:29 GMT
Here in central Ga we shut down for flurries. You won't be able to park at Publix for all the people trying to 'stock up'. And usually it's back up to 61 degrees the next day lol.
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IAmUnoriginal
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Jun 25, 2014 23:27:45 GMT
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Dec 15, 2016 16:51:40 GMT
I grew up in far western Minnesota. We closed for cold a few times per winter while growing up due to the buses not being able to run (diesel gelling). My high school was over 10 miles from my town. There was one January that we had 5 days of school total between cold and lots of snow. 5 days all month. We took snowmobiles to school a lot that winter because it was faster and safer than the 13 miles on the bus or even in our own cars. That year, some of the snowbanks along the highways were taller than the plow trucks. It was particularly bad.
I've lived in the Chicago suburbs for 15 years now. There have been a few days where school has been called off for cold, but not nearly as many as I had as a kid. The school's facebook page sure blows up with complaints, though, when school isn't called off on days like today.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2016 17:00:16 GMT
I lived in the elmira ny area.
They didn't close schools until the snow was over the wheels of the bus. And never for cold.
Up until we had 2 girls get severe frostbite walking to school. The school district was sued and while I was in school , they canceled when temps got deadly.
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Post by anxiousmom on Dec 15, 2016 17:04:01 GMT
I don't think we have a cold weather closing school process/policy.  We have one that covers uniform exceptions when the temperatures get below something like 50 degrees...like the kids get to wear heavy non-uniform coats and non regulation jeans.  |
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Post by sphmaz on Dec 15, 2016 17:08:27 GMT
I live in New England...we delayed 90 minutes last week because there were some flurries in the sky....flurries...in New England!!  Then this week, another 90 min delay because the flurries actually made it to the ground and stuck around until it changed over to rain and everything melted. It's going to be a long winter if we keep this up. |
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Post by debmast on Dec 15, 2016 17:15:57 GMT
We live in a Houston suburb. Been here 10 years.
Have had one half a snow day (got sent home early).
Missed a week due to a hurricane.
And last spring missed a day or two due to flooding.
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milocat
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Post by milocat on Dec 15, 2016 17:19:13 GMT
Buses are cancelled when it is colder than -40 actual temperature. School is never closed under any circumstances. If the windchill is greater than -25C/-13F then there is indoor recess. But town kids still walk to and from school. We've had windchill and extreme (more than -40) windchill warnings here for 10 days and nothing has been cancelled other than recess.
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compeateropeator
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Post by compeateropeator on Dec 16, 2016 0:28:58 GMT
We have school closures for snow and ice and also occasionally for extreme cold. When I was growing up there were days when they couldn't start a lot of the buses and that would facilitate a school closure.
The majority of our students throughout the state have to travel by bus/car to get to school. Many bus routes are through rural Vermont with a lot of hills and twisty/dirt roads. I give bus drivers a lot of credit, I wouldn't want to be trying to negotiate them with a bus during bad conditions. Growing up I remember our bus getting stuck more than a few times.
While I am sure that it is inconvenient for many, sometimes it just doesn't seem prudent to expose children and bus drivers to dangerous conditions when not totally necessary.
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Post by salem on Dec 16, 2016 0:44:21 GMT
Our Superintendent really doesn't believe in cancelling school. There are very few 90 minute delays even, which frankly are a great big pain in the ass anyway. Tomorrow is supposed to be ridiculously cold here in NH. He sent an email that basically said, suck it up kids, you're going to school. On time. Wear jackets, scarves, gloves, etc. and do your best to get here. The bus drivers are planning on waiting an extra minute or two at each stop in case parents are having the kids wait inside instead of at the end of the driveway. The only reason I can see any closures happening is if a heat systems craps out overnight, but since we just renovated 5 elementary schools in town and are half way through the high school, I don't see that happening. If I have mercy on my high school kid, I'll drive her. I have to leave to drop my elementary school kid at before care, and get to work anyway. She might just want to take the bus. There is no penalty if a parent chooses not to send their kid on a day with weather like this, but they are definitely not closing. He also waits until about 5 am on a nasty weather day to actually make the call. He's pretty hardcore New England. Several other towns have already announced delays or closings, not here in Salem. My kids are not happy. Well, they're probably happier than out dog that is about to experience her first New Hampshire Winter. She's just pissed. |
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Post by 950nancy on Dec 16, 2016 0:47:09 GMT
Ours depends on the superintendent. One of them was from Alaska, and he thought our Colorado weather was just fine. We went nine years without a snow day. Late starts weren't even a thing. Every single district would be closed but ours.
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Dec 16, 2016 0:48:22 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40. I grew up in Missouri. So I find that hilarious.
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Post by refugeepea on Dec 16, 2016 0:48:51 GMT
We get snow here and frequently in the winter, but rarely is it below freezing temperatures. There was 1 school district that canceled for the day last year because of major snowfall; it had been 60 years. We rarely even have delays and have a lot of school buses in our district. I just checked the website and it said it's ultimately up to the superintendent; there are zero guidelines.
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Post by refugeepea on Dec 16, 2016 0:50:34 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40.  |
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imsirius
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Post by imsirius on Dec 16, 2016 2:01:50 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40. I grew up in Missouri. So I find that hilarious. We wear hoodies if it's 40 lol.... Snow days here are more rare these days. With global warming, we haven't had much snow the last two winters. This winter is apparently going to be very snowy and cold for us, like they were years ago. We get snow days if it's too dangerous on the roads. If busses don't run, school is closed. We had one delay day last year because of icy roads. We haven't had an actual snow day in a few years. The kids are kept inside if it's colder than -15 C as per the school board. The last two days, our kids have had indoor recess because of cold temps. We hope for a few snow days this year...the kids love playing in the snow and we are due. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 3:23:32 GMT
"Our typical procedure to determine school closings related to cold is that if it is actually 20 below zero or greater temperature-wise, we consider school closure. We also consider closing if wind chill is 35 degrees below zero." School is also closed/has late arrival or early dismissal if it is unsafe for busses to travel - lots of snow. Cold weather - no problem - all our busses have starters if the battery is flat due to cold. This is in NW Chicago. I'm in a suburb of Syracuse, NY and this is our policy too. My dad likes to say that our kids are tough because they go to school no matter what...except for today. We had whiteout conditions. |
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scrappinghappy
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“I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. No time to say “Hello.” Goodbye. I’m late...."
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Post by scrappinghappy on Dec 16, 2016 6:05:27 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40. I grew up in Missouri. So I find that hilarious. Thats shorts and T-shirt weather here right now. |
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Jili
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Post by Jili on Dec 16, 2016 6:08:23 GMT
"Our typical procedure to determine school closings related to cold is that if it is actually 20 below zero or greater temperature-wise, we consider school closure. We also consider closing if wind chill is 35 degrees below zero." School is also closed/has late arrival or early dismissal if it is unsafe for busses to travel - lots of snow. Cold weather - no problem - all our busses have starters if the battery is flat due to cold. This is in NW Chicago. I'm in the NW suburbs, too, and this is pretty standard for us as well. |
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Post by just PEAchy on Dec 16, 2016 13:18:51 GMT
I live just outside of Indianapolis and our policy is very similar regarding cold weather. Apparently, wind chill can go lower later in the morning, so it can be worse at say 9am than 7am, so it's better to not delay.
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scrappinmama
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Post by scrappinmama on Dec 16, 2016 13:48:51 GMT
In my KC suburb, we close when we get 6 inches of snow. The last 2 years we didn't use any snow days at all. One year we closed for a couple degrees because if was 0 degrees. We never get that cold here.
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Post by jenb72 on Dec 16, 2016 14:03:53 GMT
Yeah, here in N GA, if it flurries, they close the schools, however, my county (Gwinnett) is usually the last one to make this decision and only if it looks like it will stick. My kids have had to go to school on more than one occasion even when the counties around us are closed. Also, people will panic and cause the stores to run out of milk, bread and eggs. We joke that it must be a "French Toast Blizzard".  And why people choose to buy out the perishable goods instead of the canned goods when there's a good chance they will lose power from ice on the power lines is beyond me. You would think that after years of being "caught off guard" by winter weather, we'd start learning, but apparently that's not the case. Jen |
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Post by hop2 on Dec 16, 2016 14:39:55 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40. I grew up in Missouri. So I find that hilarious. Ha we've had full band competitions in the30-40 degree range. Hours in the 'cold' (not to mention football in the snow ) and we aren't *that* cold of a state. |
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Post by debmast on Dec 16, 2016 15:04:08 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40. I grew up in Missouri. So I find that hilarious. I grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio area, so I totally get the humor. However, my kids growing up here in Houston are not acclimated to 40 and below. And most of the kiddos don't have appropriate coats, gloves, etc for that weather, because we just don't have it often. So there is some reasoning behind why they don't have recess in that weather. My 16 year old would rather play soccer in 100+ degree temps than some of the HS soccer temps she plays in. But our family from up north comes down over 4th of July and wants to sit in the AC in our hosue because they can't handle the heat and humidity. |
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Post by KikiPea on Dec 16, 2016 15:51:34 GMT
I love the fact that they will consider closing for extreme cold! However, I live in a city where the mere mention of possible snow flurries causes runs on milk/bread/booze at the grocery store. Heaven help us if it actually snows! That will shut us down for a couple of days minimum! SaveYes! And I like it that way! LOL |
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Post by anxiousmom on Dec 16, 2016 15:57:10 GMT
Here in central TX, we don't go outside to recess if it's below 40. I grew up in Missouri. So I find that hilarious. I grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio area, so I totally get the humor. However, my kids growing up here in Houston are not acclimated to 40 and below. And most of the kiddos don't have appropriate coats, gloves, etc for that weather, because we just don't have it often. So there is some reasoning behind why they don't have recess in that weather. My 16 year old would rather play soccer in 100+ degree temps than some of the HS soccer temps she plays in. But our family from up north comes down over 4th of July and wants to sit in the AC in our hosue because they can't handle the heat and humidity. Gosh, this is so true. My boys have moved from Central Florida to places where it gets colder than here. My youngest is in North Florida which gets colder than it does here. He texted me other day that his feet were cold and what kind of shoes were you supposed to wear when it gets cold. And he only has one pair of jeans, and two long sleeved shirts. |
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Post by mrssmith on Dec 16, 2016 16:37:04 GMT
I'm a northern suburb of Chicago. During the year of the polar vortex when it was -35 to -40 we had school closed for 3 days. Those of us who grew up here remembered only one school closure in our youth (HS closed because a squirrel chewed through a power line and the school had no electricity).
After that year (where of course people complained about it being closed - which is challenging for working parents when you don't have backup care), they came up with a policy but it's not hard & fast temp rules. Previously they didn't have the 90 minute late start option which they now added. Other factors are if the buses can't run (although most kids walk) or if if a lot of other districts close (esp. CPS) because a lot of our teachers live outside of our town.
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Then this week, another 90 min delay because the flurries actually made it to the ground and stuck around until it changed over to rain and everything melted. It's going to be a long winter if we keep this up.
And why people choose to buy out the perishable goods instead of the canned goods when there's a good chance they will lose power from ice on the power lines is beyond me. You would think that after years of being "caught off guard" by winter weather, we'd start learning, but apparently that's not the case.
