Snow day

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For the film of the same name, see Snow Day.

In meteorology, a snow day is a day on which fall of snow is observed.

• American Meteorological Society Association. [1].

A meteorological day is considered on a different basis from country to country. Most frequently, it refers to the 08.00-08.00 time span (summer time: 09.00-09.00).

A snow day in U.S. Culture is a day in which school classes are cancelled or delayed due to snow or heavy ice. Sometimes the phrase 'snow day' is used for the cancellation of work in businesses as well. Similar measures may occur in response to heavy rain, tornadoes, hurricanes, dense fog, and other forms of inclement weather. The criteria for enacting a snow day is primarily the result of the inability of vehicular transportation, as in the inability of school buses to make their routes. Usually secondary concerns are health issues that may arise by students being exposed to the cold weather.

Snow days, in some communities are very rare (often one or less occurring every year), usually due to infrequency of snow (the community need not be prepared) or extreme frequency of snow (the community is fully prepared and even large amounts of snow rarely present a serious problem). However, some communities build three to five snow days into their school year to stop children taking vacation early in the event of a heavy winter and the need to make up extra days of school.

In some states in the Midwest and other areas, school delays are also common. The thinking behind this is that conditions will improve, (such as snow plows having more time to clear the roads or dense fog lifting) and students will be able to arrive safely to their destinations. For example, in the state of Indiana, a school system is allowed to delay the start of the school day for two hours without being penalized for it. (See the Indiana Department of Education document about instructional time, section 13. [2] ) However, when a school system in Indiana does close for weather, it will count against the required 180 instructional days, and the school system will have to make up those days or apply for a waiver of the financial penalty.

For school administrators, snow days have a negative connotation, as the entire day will usually have to be reworked into the schedule, because the necessary credit hours of students for that day will not be fulfilled. Also, since many homes do not have a stay-at-home parent, snow days can mean a hardship for parents to find last-minute childcare, so school administrators are often hesistant to call off school except when truly necessary.

Generally speaking, the closer to the equator the school district is, the more likely a relatively light snowfall (or merely the threat of a snowfall) will result in a snow day. For instance, schools in areas with heavy snowfall, such as upstate New York or Northern New England, rarely have snow days even after heavy snow fall, while Mid-Atlantic schools in states such as Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, often close for snowfalls as little as a few inches. The explanation for this is that areas that receive heavy snowfall are more equipped to clear the snow and drive through the snow, while towns that receive less snow invest less in snow removal equipment and are populated by residents less experienced driving on snow or ice. When people move from northern cities to southern cities, they are often surprised at what justifies a snow day.

In the United Kingdom, snow days arent a common event, especially across the south. Scottish schools may experience many during the winter months due to the northern latitude of the country. In England however, significant snowfall isn't a frequent event and when it does fall it never lasts for more than a week across low-lying areas. Scottish schools are used to severe snowfalls and schools may not be as badly affected, but across the southern half of the UK even just a few cm can cause chaos amongst traffic and therefore closing school.