Why do they close schools when it&#39;s really cold outside, but not snowing?

@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

19 Jan

Same here. And on the super-cold days, only if there was a busted pipe or water main break. Oh and one time the heaters didn't work. We got to school and we all got sent home. I knew something was up when I saw the principal standing at the front entrance. That was a GREAT day. My brothers and I went home and watched Gilligan's Island and ate Pop Tarts.

Thank you Jim

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

22 Jan

@porwest

Unless you work for a school. I did that right after high school, watched the latchkey kids at the same grade school / high school I went to myself. Then when I went to a community college for a few years, I ended up working there too in Student Special Services Dept. I guess I have this thing about not straying too far from what’s familiar. Haha

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Jim Bauer

@porwest (78759)

• United States

19 Jan

@Melanie_Marie Man, to be a kid again. Before I retired, I don't recall any snow days at work. lol

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Jeff Moffitt

@moffittjc (118535)

• Gainesville, Florida

19 Jan

In Florida they will close schools when it gets super cold because many older school buildings don’t have heat.

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Jeff Moffitt

@moffittjc (118535)

• Gainesville, Florida

22 Jan

@Melanie_Marie It’s rare that heat is needed. Where I live in north Florida (where it’s typically colder than the rest of Florida), we only average 13 days a year where the temp drop below freezing. And that’s from historical data. With global warming, we probably have even less than that now. But this has been an unusually colder winter than normal.

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

22 Jan

Because they probably never needed it, right? Makes sense. Thanks Jeff

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Amber

@AmbiePam (85660)

• United States

16 Jan

In a lot of cases they close schools for very cold temperatures because of the danger from the cold. Kids waiting at the bus stop, kids with no choice but to walk to school…it can be very bad for one’s health. I remember it made the news once when a bus dropped a kid off at his rural home. He was accidentally locked out of his home, but the bus had left, and he had no neighbors. The poor kid got frostbite. It doesn’t feel like a big risk to me, but those are the explanations I have heard.

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Amber

@AmbiePam (85660)

• United States

19 Jan

@Melanie_Marie

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

18 Jan

Oh, very good reasons here @AmbiePam. I forgot all about the kids that walk to school. Thank you!

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Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (48521)

• Canada

16 Jan

If a child slips and falls on school property when they arrive at school, they are liable. It happened to my son when he was in grade 3 and I had to leave work to pick him up and get him medical care as he hit his head and had an upset stomach afterwards.

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Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (48521)

• Canada

19 Jan

@Melanie_Marie It was just really cold and the deicer did not work.

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

19 Jan

Ugh how terrible. They didn't ice the school grounds properly. Thank you @Juliaacv Hope he was ok with no permanent damage x

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Anna

@LadyDuck (458867)

• Switzerland

16 Jan

We never had cold enough temperatures to oblige the authorities to close the schools. If the weather is very cold it can be hazardous to children waiting outside for the bus, or students traveling by car. Ice on the roads is more dangerous than snow.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (458867)

• Switzerland

19 Jan

@Melanie_Marie I know how you feel stuck in the snow. When we lived in Monte Carlo and this was a "vacation home", we were stuck on the highway in Italy during 8 hours waiting for the snow plows. It has been a nightmare. That was the day we decided to move here permanently and forget to drive here in winter.

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

18 Jan

Ice is awful esp on the overpasses above freeways. We have one right here on 23 M Rd that gets you to all the main stores like Target, Meijer, PetSmart, and I WILL NOT drive on that thing if there's even a hint of ice or freezing rain. Got stuck there once and everyone was white-knuckling it because the salt trucks couldn't get through yet. Thanks Anna

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paigea

@paigea (35718)

• Canada

16 Jan

Well, here they don't close. It was -45°C as I drove to school on Friday. They canceled school buses in this rural area, so most students did not come to school.

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

18 Jan

Oh, so if the buses (busses?) Hmmm anyway if they cancel them and many kids take the bus to get to school, then it wouldn't be worth holding classes if half or maybe more than half of students would be missing. Thank you @paigea

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paigea

@paigea (35718)

• Canada

20 Jan

@Melanie_Marie But the school never closes. Once the buses don't run for a couple days, every one seems to find a way to get their kids to school.??

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Heather Echola

@GardenGerty (157650)

• United States

16 Jan

We have not had much snow for days, but what we have is hanging around. It blows into drifts and covers the roads and the bus cannot safely get through. It could be that the heating systems in the schools cannot keep up. One winter, luckily during a break so no one was there, a boiler exploded. We are closed and have been most of last week and yesterday was a scheduled day off and the district decided to close today because of low temperatures, wind and blowing snow that is not melting.

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

19 Jan

It's been soooo cold, hasn't it? I need to remember my gloves...when pumping gas.

I couldn't unclench my hand until I got home.

My mom said well, I gave you gloves. They could be anywhere. Thanks Heather

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popciclecold

@popciclecold (35381)

• United States

16 Jan

Here kids have to wait on the bus in rural areas. .

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@Melanie_Marie (1800)

• New Baltimore, Michigan

19 Jan

Got it, thank you @popciclecold. Do you like cold weather?

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OceanTiara

@RebeccasFarm (86838)

• United States

16 Jan

They have been doing this for years now..it is called whining and laziness and catering to the soft feeble masses that run inside at the sight of a rain drop.

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