Does this happen everywhere?

[jeff_t]

'Tis a little chilly, but really? Almost 100 school closings around metro Detroit. Looks like over half are private/parochial schools. I seem to remember mom just putting more clothes on us. And it ain't even cold, was -3 here.

(broken link removed to http://www.wxyz.com/subindex/weather/school_closings)

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Never seen it happen here. That's cold for us, but not unheard of.

 

[jeff_t]

Maybe because they didn't invent wind chill factors when we were kids. Somehow, we just knew the wind made it feel colder and we had to dress warmer.

 

[Badfish740]

When I was in grade school (NJ) we had school cancelled for two days because the fuel vendor who was selling to the regional bus company (served like half the county) apparently wasn't selling a winter blend of diesel. This worked fine until we had low teen/single digit temps for about a week and all of the busses were hopelessly gelled up. Other than that, never had school cancelled on account of cold.

 

[yooperdave]

The last two days (Mon, Tue) were cancelled because of the cold. Wind chills of -40f and worse. Although the temps ranged from -15f to -32f, I suppose that maybe the schools decided to keep the kids away from the outside while waiting for the bus?? Anyway, the last few winters presented no opportunities to call snow days which every district plans for around here...so maybe thats why they cancelled them down south, too???

I sure do remember going to school in a lot worse weather than this also.

 

[lukem]

We had two hour delays a few times for extreme cold. Never cancelled tho.

 

[firefighterjake]

Never canceled due to the cold . . . just meant an indoor recess so that one kid who accepted every dare wouldn't be tempted to stick his tongue on the metal chain of the swing set.

 

[eclecticcottage]

I do recall it a few times over the past years, not while growing up though. Buses were running today though, I dont' think any got cancelled in this area.

 

[fishingpol]

Come on people. We lived through it.


(broken image removed)

 

[jeff_t]

I can't put my arms down!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Definitely they are whimps today. Closing for cold? Crazy. We sometimes even see them closing when just a few inches of snow falls. Crazy. Whimps.

 

[jeff_t]

Well, we did ride up in the back window of the car, back in the day. Maybe they are onto something.

 

[granpajohn]

and furthermore, the girls wore those little plaid jumpers.

Tough chicks.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

times were tough when we were growing up i guess, if the roads were clear you got on da bus, nowadays it seems like if a snowflake is "predicted' to hit our county schools close and everyone runs out and buys bread, milk and other perishable items in case the power goes out, bet the landfill guys get a chuckle a few weeks later at the moldy bread (unopened) and all the milk cartons.

i gotta say this, the mentality of folks these days is simply stupid (i want to use the "r" word but i save that for the can) if you fear a power outage , just why the hello do you buy PERISHABLE stuff? get some SPAM for petes sake, buy something you can use during an outage but something that will stay on your cupboard shelf if you dont use it! it simply makes me want to scream at people, get a loaf or two of bread, if you do not have milk buy a gallon, buy some bottled water if you have a well, but GEEZ people, think!!

 

[billb3]

when they cancelled here because of the cold either the boilers couldn't keep up with the heat loss and maintain a decent temperature in all the rooms or they couldn't afford to.

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

We sometimes drop in the single digits and don't cancel school, but I worry about the numerous children who don't own a good coat, hat, or gloves and who wait outside for the bus.

 

[begreen]

As I head out for work, shivering in a soon to be defrosting, chilly truck, I see kids waiting for the bus in 30 deg weather with just shorts and a light jacket on. Makes me cold all over again. And these kids have perfectly good cold weather gear at home.

 

[nate379]

As long as it's warmer than -10* the kids still go out to play for recess at the two schools my friend's kids are at. I'd imagine similar policy for the other schools as well.

 

[granpajohn]

I wanna modify my comment.
Schools didn't close when I was a kid, but...

...in January 1994 we had one of our coldest winters, and State offices (non-essential) were closed and that included schools and the domino effect that it causes. I remember driving in to work in Baltimore City and traffic was very light. It was about -5F that morning. Natural gas ran short in PG County, and Red Cross opened shelters for those without heat. One especially was a senior citizen apartment complex. It was hard on those folks.

Of course, the kids were still playing outside. Most of them just don't get cold easily.

 

[tfdchief]

Yes, things have changed. When I was a kid, they didn't plow the streets in our town. Now there is a fleet of trucks and a private feet that does parking lots. If the streets and parking lots aren't bare by work in the morning people don't know what to do. Some even call city hall to complain. We have become a spoiled population, IMO. On that rare occasion when they canceled school when I was young, we went home, grabbed our snow shovels, and went out to make some money

 

[amateur cutter]

I don't ever remember school being cancelled for cold. Snow & drifting yes, but not cold. Of course we didn't wear flip flops & shorts in winter then either. As to the people that don't know what to do when the parking lot or street isn't bare pavement, well I'd say move south. A C

 

[tfdchief]

As to the people that don't know what to do when the parking lot or street isn't bare pavement, well I'd say move south. A C

I have to agree AC, but they don't, they just gripe

 

[Hearth Mistress]

I only remember school being closed because the heaters were broken.

This is why I stay out of Detroit in the winter, granted it's cold here too but THAT cold seemed to go right through me! Then I usually get stuck due to storms there or in Philly. Now, the folks I work with out there know they won't see me until April, at the earliest

 

[Danno77]

Just about every snow day (or cancellation due to temps) in jr high and high school meant that we packed into a truck with our gear and went skiing. Drove right by the closed schools on the way. Now it means that I can split and stack wood. Sometimes I think I live a couple of thousand miles too far south. The heat, though? Forget that crap, I become worthless around 90F.

 

[tbuff]

Unless we had frozen heating coils breaking all over the school, we wouldn't cancel due to cold.