[jp03]

Originally Posted by Cambium

I agree. You don't need half foot of snow to make things a mess on the roads. Todays temps are staying in the teens and 20s and thats not helping since salt does not work in those temps.

I thought they wouldn't close but yeah, good call. Keep the kids safe!!

Meant to post this in here.

Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk. Less than 2 inches fallen so far. Source:

No doubt measure less than 2 inches here..but at 16 degrees, its more dangerous than 5 inches at 32 I am willing to bet.

[Poseidon3290]

Greenwich is really feeling the pain right now. They didn't close or dismiss early and roads are a MESS! Bunch of highschoolers out driving around on roads that are plowed and salted but still are icy as heck.

Main roads were really bad around 1, backroads hadn't been touched and were a sheet of ice. Snow is still falling. Other schools made the right call.

[jp03]

Originally Posted by JMagliola

Greenwich is really feeling the pain right now. They didn't close or dismiss early and roads are a MESS! Bunch of highschoolers out driving around on roads that are plowed and salted but still are icy as heck.

Main roads were really bad around 1, backroads hadn't been touched and were a sheet of ice. Snow is still falling. Other schools made the right call.

Funny, after all the moaning and whining on here, the schools ended up doing exactly the right thing. Afternoon commute will be a mess.

[7 Wishes]

I have to say, after last (Tuesday?) thinking the schools overdid it, I thought so at first this time, roads not so bad out this morning, but now I think most of them made the right call. Especially when the sleet and freezing rain fell right around the time schools get out (remember I'm a little bit south of CT), a lot of side and back roads were pretty rough actually.

The main reason schools are so quick to close is because in CT many districts have extensive busing (Stamford, Danbury, and Norwalk come to mind, although Stamford actually opened with an early dismissal) and fear lawsuits. If anything, the districts would be even quicker to close if it were not for having to make days up later on, if you ever notice, the private and parochial schools (which are exempt from state testing and school year length mandates) are even quicker to close than the public schools

NY City itself almost never closes for snow (I read they went from 1947 to 1978 without a snow day, and then from that no snow day until 1996. They've closed a little more often recently, but still only a few times a decade for "epic" storms. I've heard 3 rationales: 1) They bus less than most districts/a lot of students either walk or take underground subways and 2) Many students with working parents, often just one parent. I think it's more the first argument because if it were the 2nd districts like Bridgeport would close less often too (though they did open last Tuesday.....today they closed).

Some districts, when it comes to the arguments of working parents, argue back that many workplaces expect people to go out even in a foot of snow and come to work and are not sympathetic enough to public safety. Now I do think there's some truth to that (back in my "corporate" days that was true for coming in though often they did let you go before dark) and that companies should consider the weather a little more, but unfortunately most do not, putting parents between a rock and a hard place.

Originally Posted by JMagliola

Greenwich is really feeling the pain right now. They didn't close or dismiss early and roads are a MESS! Bunch of highschoolers out driving around on roads that are plowed and salted but still are icy as heck.

Main roads were really bad around 1, backroads hadn't been touched and were a sheet of ice. Snow is still falling. Other schools made the right call.

They were following virtually all the neighboring/bordering Westchester districts south of 287 (ironically all the ones north of 287 closed, a couple of south ones did dismiss early though), and I can tell you living in one of them that had the same thing and having a middle and elementary school kid I went through all that mess today (glad I was off!).

[seymourct]

Well Seymour closed last tuesday & today. As a parent, I was glad of it. Seymour is a valley town & a lot of our side streets have very steep inclines on one end or another, just plain fact. Asking kids to be on the icy sidewalk while an unwieldy bus careens around the bend is just not safe here. We even have a bus route with alternate stops in winter weather conditions. Sorry ,But comparing driving in snow & ice on flat terrain vs. steep inclines to me is just nonsensical. No one wants to hear about a superintendent taking risks with the children out on buses.

[Poseidon3290]

Originally Posted by seymourct

Well Seymour closed last tuesday & today. As a parent, I was glad of it. Seymour is a valley town & a lot of our side streets have very steep inclines on one end or another, just plain fact. Asking kids to be on the icy sidewalk while an unwieldy bus careens around the bend is just not safe here. We even have a bus route with alternate stops in winter weather conditions. Sorry ,But comparing driving in snow & ice on flat terrain vs. steep inclines to me is just nonsensical. No one wants to hear about a superintendent taking risks with the children out on buses.

which is what greenwich did.. hope they are getting tons of complaints today.

[mlassoff]

This is my 25th winter in Connecticut. This has always been a "damned if you do... damned if you don't" for the schools. If they are too aggressive with closing, people are unhappy: "Why aren't those kids in school! It's just 2 inches!"

If (heaven forbid) someone gets hurt: "Why were those kids out and heading to school? The roads were a sheet of glass!"

I just like to think someone with good judgement is making the decision, and erring on the side of caution.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

This is my 25th winter in Connecticut. This has always been a "damned if you do... damned if you don't" for the schools. If they are too aggressive with closing, people are unhappy: "Why aren't those kids in school! It's just 2 inches!"

If (heaven forbid) someone gets hurt: "Why were those kids out and heading to school? The roads were a sheet of glass!"

I just like to think someone with good judgement is making the decision, and erring on the side of caution.

People will definitely complain either way.

[SeaDoo342]

The way the crews cleared the roads today was despicable. We had maximum 5", most places 3-4", and there are roads CLOSED because of the lack of attention they received today. This is totally unacceptable!!

[Dallascaper]

My commute home from Statford to Milford along 95 was absolutely perfect. The roads were fine. Big babies.