Any Southerners in the School Closing Zone?

LuckyAngel07

My sister and BIL have been ranting about how their county in AL is calling for 2-hour delays for schools for the next 2 mornings. Why? Because it's going to be cold. No snow...no ice...no rain. Just cold.

How cold? The early morning temps are supposed to be around 17 degrees. Granted, yes, that's pretty cold for them down there. But the fact that parents are all flipping out about how schools should just be closed so their kids don't have to go out in these arctic temperatures is absolutely ridiculous. 

Our high tomorrow in PA is 12 degrees. With a "real feel" temperature of -11. I guarantee you schools here will operate as usual. This isn't the insanely frigid temps the midwest is experiencing right now, and we're still worse off than AL is in our temperatures. 

Come on people! Just STFU and take your kids to school! 30 seconds in the cold isn't going to kill anyone (it seems like the majority of people in the south drive their kids, but there are buses some kids would have to wait for).

brij2006

That's funny. Bundle up and send your kids to school.  They won't freeze.

Granted I picture people in Alaska reading our FB statuses right now and laughing at us complaining about -20 on the thermometer.

LuckyAngel07

brij2006 said:

Granted I picture people in Alaska reading our FB statuses right now and laughing at us complaining about -20 on the thermometer.

HAHA! Me too!! But really now. 17 degrees is not the end of the world. God knows I must have stood and waited for my school bus in similar temps (and probably colder) wearing my little Catholic uniform of knee socks and plaid skirt (I used to hate tights with a passion and refused to wear them). No one up here was going to delay (let alone consider cancelling!) school for cold weather in the teens. 

The Midwest, I can totally understand closing things. You're talking a wind chill of -30! 

LooneyLife

I can understand being concerned about kids waiting for buses in the cold.  But how much warmer is it predicted to be 2 hours later?

Tomorrow they're calling for a high of 19.  My school is opening on time, but made several announcements to the students today about dressing for the weather.  If they don't have a coat, they were allowed to borrow one from the school to wear.

LuckyAngel07

LooneyLife said:

I can understand being concerned about kids waiting for buses in the cold.  But how much warmer is it predicted to be 2 hours later?

Exactly! It's seriously going to be all of like 3 degrees warmer at that point. 

Do people not understand the concept of layers? Even if you don't own a super warm winter coat, you layer a t-shirt, long sleeve, sweatshirt/sweater, and your coat, and you'll be just fine!

PS: I've seen my fair share of thin-blooded Bamans when I've been down there visiting my family bundled up in parka-style coats when it's only 50 degrees. I'm sure most of them have adequate winter wear to get them through a couple of particularly cold mornings without succumbing to hypothermia.

islandmonkey8

Some schools by me in Jersey are closing for tomorrow. They don't think they'll be able to combat the ice from the melt today and get the buses out at a reasonable time. Everything melted and is already starting to freeze up. I get it to a certain extent. I mean it's not going to melt with a high of 12 tomorrow, wind chill at -14. 

But whatever, the south is weird. My friends were in TN and said everything shut down one day when they had flurries and a dusting of snow on the grass. 

No matter what, I'm sure we all get the joy of being at work tomorrow. (Unless you're one of the lucky teachers in the frozen districts)

LuckyAngel07

islandmonkey8 said:

Some schools by me in Jersey are closing for tomorrow. They don't think they'll be able to combat the ice from the melt today and get the buses out at a reasonable time. Everything melted and is already starting to freeze up. I get it to a certain extent. I mean it's not going to melt with a high of 12 tomorrow, wind chill at -14. 

This still makes more sense to me than their reasoning down south. There was rain this morning and melting snow from Friday's blizzard. There could legitimately be frozen road areas up here. Down there? Nada. There's nothing to freeze (except bodies of water, which have no impact on roads).

Uptowngirl2009

I'm in PA (close to the highest point) and all schools in our area are already closed for tomorrow. It's supposed to be -10 here tomorrow with wind chills at -30 to -35.

The thing is that parents would complain if they had school in this weather but I also bet there will be parents complaining that they are closing school when we just got back today from a two week break.

saraeric

I'm in KS and we had a "cold day" today. We were supposed to have professional development today (no students) so I was absolutely shocked they closed the district. Windchills were in the -20*F or colder. We to have students tomorrow and as of right now, will have school without any delay. They're calling for a temp of about 1*F with windchill in the negative single digits. IMO, 17 sounds fantastic right about now!!

DangerMuffin23

LuckyAngel07 said:

brij2006 said:

Granted I picture people in Alaska reading our FB statuses right now and laughing at us complaining about -20 on the thermometer.

HAHA! Me too!! But really now. 17 degrees is not the end of the world. God knows I must have stood and waited for my school bus in similar temps (and probably colder) wearing my little Catholic uniform of knee socks and plaid skirt (I used to hate tights with a passion and refused to wear them). No one up here was going to delay (let alone consider cancelling!) school for cold weather in the teens. 

The Midwest, I can totally understand closing things. You're talking a wind chill of -30! 

I was ALL about the knee socks with my uniform too!

aggiebug

I know here (nova) they closed schools because many buses don't have good enough heaters to combat the cold and they are concerned about all the students who walk to school. We do have a windchill below zero.

With a 2hr delay I wonder if they are concerned about the buses starting. I know that is a major issue with those old buses down south because yeah the temp isn't going to be that different 2 hrs later.

rccola1981

There is a law in pa that when wind chills reach a designated point (-10 I believe) students can not be made to wait for busses, so I don't think there are any schools near me open.

LuckyAngel07

aggiebug said:

I know here (nova) they closed schools because many buses don't have good enough heaters to combat the cold and they are concerned about all the students who walk to school. We do have a windchill below zero. With a 2hr delay I wonder if they are concerned about the buses starting. I know that is a major issue with those old buses down south because yeah the temp isn't going to be that different 2 hrs later.

I don't know. If my little bitty Corolla could start this morning at all of 3 degrees, I would expect any bus engine to turn over, even if it took a little extra effort. Yes, they're probably older vehicles, but they undergo routine maintenance to ensure they can safely transport children every day.

I can understand there being a concern up in PA today for children who need to wait for buses or walk to school in the wind chill of -20 degrees, but it's not getting that cold down south. I understand they're not mentally as used to those temperatures, but their bodies can handle freezing weather in the teens just as well as ours can up here if they add a few layers/dress more warmly. I just don't get the point of delaying or cancelling school just because it's getting below freezing.

aggiebug

Actually the large diesel engines are much more difficult to start in the winter. My dad's diesel truck had to warm up for 5-10min in winter (in Texas) to start. And the gas is typically different and antifreeze is not the same. They truly aren't prepared. I have lived in both climates so I guess I get it.

A lot of it is liability too. If a child isn't dressed appropriately and does get hurt from the weather you know there is trouble for the districts unfortunately.

amccul20

brij2006 said:

That's funny. Bundle up and send your kids to school.  They won't freeze.

Granted I picture people in Alaska reading our FB statuses right now and laughing at us complaining about -20 on the thermometer.

I have  fb friend that lives in Alaska and he posted about how rediculous everyone was being yesterday because it was -29 where he is

greenbeanqueen

-butting in from gpm-

In my area it was -20 windchill (NC) and an actual temp of -1. Schools were originally delayed, but ended up closing because of widespread power outages in the area. This was wise because many of my students can't afford appropriate winter clothes.

MadeOfAwesome

LuckyAngel07 said:

My sister and BIL have been ranting about how their county in AL is calling for 2-hour delays for schools for the next 2 mornings. Why? Because it's going to be cold. No snow...no ice...no rain. Just cold.

How cold? The early morning temps are supposed to be around 17 degrees. Granted, yes, that's pretty cold for them down there. But the fact that parents are all flipping out about how schools should just be closed so their kids don't have to go out in these arctic temperatures is absolutely ridiculous. 

Our high tomorrow in PA is 12 degrees. With a "real feel" temperature of -11. I guarantee you schools here will operate as usual. This isn't the insanely frigid temps the midwest is experiencing right now, and we're still worse off than AL is in our temperatures. 

Come on people! Just STFU and take your kids to school! 30 seconds in the cold isn't going to kill anyone (it seems like the majority of people in the south drive their kids, but there are buses some kids would have to wait for).

Yup.  I'm in AL.  They close everything down if they even THINK there might be snow/ice/cold weather/dragons/gremlins/etc.

MadeOfAwesome

Now, I will say that it is fucking COLD here.  Definitely not used to it.  I live in the South for a reason.... I don't do cold.  I will avoid going out if I can just because I'm a wuss.  I put off going to the grocery store, mostly because all of the nutjobs hoard all of the groceries anyway in the event of a snowpocalypse.  BUY ALL THE BREAD!!

LuckyAngel07

MadeOfAwesome said:

Now, I will say that it is fucking COLD here.  Definitely not used to it.  I live in the South for a reason.... I don't do cold.  I will avoid going out if I can just because I'm a wuss.  I put off going to the grocery store, mostly because all of the nutjobs hoard all of the groceries anyway in the event of a snowpocalypse.  BUY ALL THE BREAD!!

Believe me, I understand the Southern response to cold is vastly different than the Northern response! I'd move down there for the warmer weather in a heartbeat and leave these freezing temps and snow behind!

Just some of the parent comments my sister and BIL have copied and shared with me are just so ridiculous. I've been rolling my eyes so hard they're at risk for falling right out of my head.

MadeOfAwesome

LuckyAngel07 said:

MadeOfAwesome said:

Now, I will say that it is fucking COLD here.  Definitely not used to it.  I live in the South for a reason.... I don't do cold.  I will avoid going out if I can just because I'm a wuss.  I put off going to the grocery store, mostly because all of the nutjobs hoard all of the groceries anyway in the event of a snowpocalypse.  BUY ALL THE BREAD!!

Believe me, I understand the Southern response to cold is vastly different than the Northern response! I'd move down there for the warmer weather in a heartbeat and leave these freezing temps and snow behind!

Just some of the parent comments my sister and BIL have copied and shared with me are just so ridiculous. I've been rolling my eyes so hard they're at risk for falling right out of my head.

Oh, I definitely roll my eyes too (although, I was loving getting to sleep in a bit yesterday since my building was delayed too).  I have seen a couple of patches of black ice, but nothing extreme and it was on a back road.  Everyone always freaks out here.  Oh, there MIGHT be snow tomorrow???  LET'S CLOSE EVERYTHING!  And then there's no snow.  It's ridiculous.