Starting as early as late last week they were forecasting measurable snow for us here in Nashville today. Then all this week the chances for that happening were 90%.
What a disappointment to wake up this morning and not find the promised snow. (They were estimating between one to three inches. That’s not a lot, but for somewhere unaccustomed to getting much snow, it’s a big deal.)
However, schools shut down.
Ever since we moved in here 2005, every time there’s snow, even if it’s only a quarter inch, schools close.
The first winter that left us stumped. Both Wayne and I grew up in Denver. Both of us lived there through some pretty significant snow storms, and even a blizzard or three. Like any red-blooded American kid, we relished snow days. But do you think Denver Public Schools (DPS) granted them often? No, they did not. It had to be as near to blizzard conditions as you can get them before they’d even consider shutting things down.
But that’s Colorado where snow’s a part of winter life. Here, even though they have sand trucks and some snow plows, they’re really not equipped for true snowy winter weather.
Also, in 2003 there was a snow storm that set the “Declare a Snow Day at the Drop of a Flake” precedent. The snow didn’t start until kids were in school. It picked up fast and by the time they decided to let school out early, it was too late.
Too much snow had fallen and slicked up the roads. Buses –filled with kids– got stuck. Parents didn’t know where there children were. It took hours before some got home.
In short, I guess it turned into a nightmarish mess. No one wanted to repeat that mistake again. Better to be safe than sorry.
So, that’s why people rushed out in droves to grocery store last night. And that’s why school was canceled today.
Because, even though we woke up to only overcast skies, there was still a chance that, like in 2003, the snows could start later in the morning and become heavier.
It’s been spitting snow off and on most of the morning. For the past hour and a half it’s been picking up somewhat. Some is even now starting to stick to the sidewalks and powder the lawns. They say an inch is still possible.
All I know, snow days are good. But when we got snow days as a kid and actually had snow to go along with them, nothing beat a morning of sledding, snowball fighting, snow fort or snowman making, followed by a good cup of hot cocoa, a little rest, and then an afternoon of resumed outdoor fun.
Nashville kids don’t know what they’re truly missing!
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Tags: snow