Normal snow fall for Boston is about 42 inches for the year. We got that by the second storm which hit us in the beginning of January.
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Early school closings due to weather
- Thread starter maflynn
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It's the same thing in here. This winter has been the worst for years and the city of Helsinki cut the snow removal budget by 2 million last year. All places are full of snow already.
I think my questions have been answered now, at least somehow. There are days when I wish we had snow days, but no, you have to get your ass up one hour earlier to be on time. I know, I'm jealous
That should explain it then. I thought you had a lot more snow in Boston as a foot per week is quite a lot and I thought that was pretty normal for you.
crap that is a lot of snow and you still have at least a month of winter left to go.
I live about 25 miles to the southeast of Boston. We usually get 50 inches of snow a year. This year it is now about 70 inches and rising with the current storm today and tomorrow. So with 2 months of Winter yet to go we are 20 inches over our average for an entire Winter. Plus it has stayed so cold for so long that almost none of it has melted. I have four feet of accumulated snow in my yard. I don't have a snowblower. I'm one of those hard ******* Yankee types that have to do everything the hard way. Frankly even a New England Yankee can only throw the snow so high. The mounds that surround my driveway are at 9 feet.
Boston with narrow streets has run out of room to throw the snow. Why they let the kids out of school in the middle of the day? Don't really know. Could be so they can walk/bus while it is still daylight. Plus, who is to say that it will be any better later in the day... it will most likely be worse. Take that from someone who was one car length from spending a week on route 9 in Southboro, Ma during the Blizzard of '78.
Boston with narrow streets has run out of room to throw the snow. Why they let the kids out of school in the middle of the day? Don't really know. Could be so they can walk/bus while it is still daylight. Plus, who is to say that it will be any better later in the day... it will most likely be worse. Take that from someone who was one car length from spending a week on route 9 in Southboro, Ma during the Blizzard of '78.
But closing early creates a traffic cluster-beep. Closing early causes kids who may have other usual travel plans all have to get picked up at the same time and usual pick up traffic is multiplied.
During our last early closure, the elementary school kids who take the bus were sent home early. What happens for the kids who live closest and might actually get home to an empty house if their parent hasn't made it home yet?
It's a royal mess.
B
One of the issues with clearing snow in Boston is the layout of the city. Many of the side roads are very narrow and were not built for heavy equipment. When I lived there in the '70s, we had a few of the storms that are blowing through the area now. Most people in Cambridge, Somerville and the like have to park on the street and the snow plows could only cut one lane down the middle, leaving cars on both sides walled in with snow. I had to dig my VW out more than once.
I'm not defending Boston or knocking Finland, but the density of Boston is 5000 people per square km while Helsinki is 2750/km2.
I was born in Ohio and now live in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Neither the drivers or the cities are in the least prepared to deal with snow. An inch in the morning will shut schools and send the drivers who do go out skidding all over the place.
Back to the OP, I taught elementary school in the Puget Sound area. In my first year, a storm blew in during the day and crippled transportation. We were at school until 7 pm before all of the kids were home safe. Many were picked up or driven home by teachers. After that the district was quite weather wary.
Dale
I'm not defending Boston or knocking Finland, but the density of Boston is 5000 people per square km while Helsinki is 2750/km2.
I was born in Ohio and now live in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Neither the drivers or the cities are in the least prepared to deal with snow. An inch in the morning will shut schools and send the drivers who do go out skidding all over the place.
Back to the OP, I taught elementary school in the Puget Sound area. In my first year, a storm blew in during the day and crippled transportation. We were at school until 7 pm before all of the kids were home safe. Many were picked up or driven home by teachers. After that the district was quite weather wary.
Dale
We've had so much snow this winter that the schools have run through all of their built in snow days and most of spring break, and are now taking days off summer vacation. The administration has been very cautious ever since a bus full of kids rolled over on an icy road a few years ago (no injuries).
I live kind of in the hills (the berkshires) where it's colder and the snow tends to stick around more than on the coast. This winter has been really phenomenal in the sheer amount of snow buildup. If this storm brings as much as they say it will, we'll easily have 3-4 feet on the ground. My town is excellent at removing the snow, but I'm concerned that budgets and stores of salt and sand may be growing thin.
I live kind of in the hills (the berkshires) where it's colder and the snow tends to stick around more than on the coast. This winter has been really phenomenal in the sheer amount of snow buildup. If this storm brings as much as they say it will, we'll easily have 3-4 feet on the ground. My town is excellent at removing the snow, but I'm concerned that budgets and stores of salt and sand may be growing thin.
You're right but schools are covering their legal butts by closing. If an accident happens they can say they tried everything including closing school early etc. It's a legal thing
Every superintendent that I have talked to says they delay or cancel school based on if they can one get the buses clear and ready to go early enough in the morning. Or if they fear the buses will get into an accident on the roads. They don't care about the kids walking in 2 feet of snow. They just want to be able to have the roads and parking lots clear enough.
The past few storms up here we have been getting snow rates of 2-3 inches an hour. I don't care how many plows you have you can't keep up with rates that fast. The big issue here is that the semi's get stuck on the highways and then the plows can't even get through to clear the roads. We are also more spread out. Towns alone have over 50 miles of roads to plow and just keeping the main routes opened can be a challenge.
The past few storms up here we have been getting snow rates of 2-3 inches an hour. I don't care how many plows you have you can't keep up with rates that fast. The big issue here is that the semi's get stuck on the highways and then the plows can't even get through to clear the roads. We are also more spread out. Towns alone have over 50 miles of roads to plow and just keeping the main routes opened can be a challenge.
BC High?
. the private high school i went to has had about 4 or so snow days as well.
When I was in school, early school closing usually meant that the bus would pick me up, and it would take about 2x as long for me to get home. If they had waited until normal times, I wouldn't have gotten home until 5pm or something.
I'm jealous of everyone on this thread; it doesn't snow down here
The coldest we'll ever get here is +30F.
The coldest we'll ever get here is +30F.
I'm jealous of everyone on this thread; it doesn't snow down here
The coldest we'll ever get here is +30F.
Sorry, but today we have had wind chills around -30F. It has been quite brutal.
thats funny because my school, which is the largest commuter school in the Mass state university system, will straight up cancel for like 3 inches of snow.
they closed at noon today. I am so glad my first class was scheduled for 12:30
didn't even have to leave my house
yes it creates a mess at the school traffic wise but that is not a big issue in terms of safety because the cars are moving at a crawl any how there but on the rest of the roads were the kids live not as big of an issue because traffic is going to less on all roads going to the school because work has not let out.
As for the kids getting home early i am going to assume MOST do not have parents there or are old enough to be home by themselves for a while any how. Reason for that is most kids beat their parents home every day any how or are at a day care of some type. Lastly even the parent is normally home the kid should still have a key to the house to get in so not as big of an issue. Key is that just in case.
For the most part everything is about the buses and they worry about buses running into trouble on the road. I know some schools around here try to avoid ending school early because of the buses. For buses it is a legistical night mare since the morning route takes about 2+ hours from start to finish threw all schools and the after school route takes just as long. They have to make sure the buses are completely done before it gets to bad.
Today I don't think we've gone lower than +65F lol
Dashboard reports 72 right now, and its almost 9PM here.
It is currently -9 with a wind chill of -34. Tomorrow's high is only supposed to be 1.
Yeah, but your state has that old person smell.
Not to mention, it has had it left turn signal on for the last 10 miles.
Lucky, tomorrow's high is +85F
over hereYeah, but your state has that old person smell.
lol, is that in a good way or a bad way?