What On Earth Is A Snowday

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

The main reason for closing schools and sometimes businesses when it snows is if it has snowed a significant amount and the roads aren't safe. We do have snowplows, but there are a lot of roads most places and if it is snowing too heavily for them to keep up with, the roads will be too slippery. Where I live if people are driving in the snow there are the cautious drivers that know enough to go slow and then there are the drivers who think they are invincible and go fast. When there is snow outside at school, my students definitely go out and sled and play in it.

 

[Ed Norton]

Rain shutting down an airport! T-storms, yes, but rain! That's what the wet runway takeoff data is for.

 

[KwanYingirl]

You find the word 'snow day' confusing? We also have 'hump day' 'mental health day' 'hold the baby day' to name just a few. I live in New England and snow means SKI. But it still takes a few storms for everyone to get used to driving in it. We had an inch last night and the forests were so peaceful this morning. So, anyway, a 'mental health day' is when someone calls in sick to work and then goes to the beach or shopping or planting tomatoes.

 

[anthony]

No chance of getting one of those here...

 

[RussH]

@Trauma, we do have a lot of snowplows here, and yes we get a lot of snow. We had over 200 inches last year which is 508 cm.

 

[Ed Norton]

In general, the US has the worst weather in the world.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

@Ed Norton,
Have you never flown thru Philly? I kid you not! That's the only airport I hate. My boss used to route us through there on business trips. Half the time we would just end up sitting in the terminal bar because of rain. And then there was the fun time that there was a plane fire (in another plane) but our plane had already boarded and pushed off. I took a TWO HOUR NAP and when I woke up I thought the plane had landed in Phoenix. No such luck. They just let us sit on the runway all that time. Of course that wasn't rain related, but still, I have no idea why Philly has issues with rain.

You don't want to know what I think 'wet runway takeoff data' means....

@KwanYingirl,
Now we're going to have to explain what hump day means...

 

[Ed Norton]

Not PHL, but PNE, Philadelphia Northeast Airport.
Perhaps the runways are such that the maximum allowed depth of 0.5" is exceeded. Not to be pedantic but you were probably not standing by on the Runway but on a taxiway or the ramp.

 

[afuneralinmybrain]

In the northwest US, there are loads of ploughs. We put salt on the roads and everything. But sometimes it's just too overwhelming. It comes on so suddenly sometimes, so preparation is hard. Have you heard of black ice? It coats the roads and you absolutely cannot drive on that. I've seen roads that look like parking lots. The cars just break down.

 

[aka]

Snow days is my area can me called for bad road conditions, no power to the schools, or wind chill. I have seen schools called for -20 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit wind chills before (-29 to -32 degrees Celsius). There are plenty of snow plows but there are priority in where they go first. With residential roads being the lowest on the priority list. Ice is very common to be on the roads in my area in any winter storm situation.

Have you heard of black ice? It coats the roads and you absolutely cannot drive on that.

I would rather drive on 1/2 inch of ice than drive on black ice any day though. At least with the 1/2 inch stuff you know you are on ice to begin with.

 

[KwanYingirl]

Hump day is Wednesday

 

[rightkindofme]

I live in California. EVERYTHING closes for snow, but we get snow (under 5") less often than once a decade. What is really pathetic is how often they close schools for rain. Californians seriously can't drive in the rain. We melt. It is... really pathetic.