snow delays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would not say DC routinely gets light snow. 3-4 delayed openings for MCPS is average, many years with none, and multiple years with no snow days at all, so maybe five snowfalls a year? I believe it's actually been two years without an inch of measurable snow. So a blizzard every five years doesn't create a routine. There's a difference between "shutting down" and making efforts (such as DELAYING opening, not closing) to reduce traffic on the roads during rush hour. On my commute from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring, I passed 11 accidents and disabled cars. Some were obviously high school students. My neighborhood roads and some of the not-quite-major streets (2-3 lanes each way) were untreated. You can drive on three or four inches of snow once it's packed down--driving in an inch of falling snow is a different story.

MCPS etc should have delayed opening today. Two hours to let traffic clear and roads get treated would have made everything much smoother.

You are out of your mind. There is no need for clearing snow because it was an inch or less - snow plows are neither necessary nor useful with such small amounts of snow.

If your HS student can't drive in an inch of snow, which is perfectly reasonable for a new driver, then don't let them drive to school today. MCPS does still have school buses, you know.

And sorry to burst your bubble, the DC area does routinely get small amounts of snow. Historically Washington DC averages about 15 inches of snow per year (based on records dating back to the late 1800s, source NOAA.)

Go back to Vermont, already.

[Anonymous]

9:28- Clearly, you have lost YOUR mind and haven't checked into a television for some time. Because if you did this morning, you'd see that the polyps on GW and 270 were NOT all high schoolers (as you allude to). Gimme a break. People can't drive in untreated roads, because as PP mentioned we have a region of people who ate self absorbed. Me, me, me. "I" van drive. You're kids can't. You can't . But not "I". I'm a great driver that never makes mistakes for I'm not human." Riiiight. I'll believe you.

[Anonymous]

Lol! Polyps? * correct to * pile ups

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I stand by the argument that it would be ridiculous to postpone schools today for 1 inch (or less) of light snow. My post referenced HS students because the PP claimed to have seen accidents involving HS students (sure she did.) Fwiw, I commuted from MoCo to DC today and did not see a single accident or even any additional traffic. Heavy rain along the lines of the storm of Wednesday night is far more dangerous to drive in, and no one demands that schools be close or postpone simply because of a thunderstorm.

And really, PP, to accuse me of being self-absorbed because I am capable of driving safely in weather that is normal for this area? That's just bizarre. I think it's the height of self-absorption to demand the world screech to a halt because you have some strange terror of very small amounts of precipitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I stand by the argument that it would be ridiculous to postpone schools today for 1 inch (or less) of light snow. My post referenced HS students because the PP claimed to have seen accidents involving HS students (sure she did.) Fwiw, I commuted from MoCo to DC today and did not see a single accident or even any additional traffic. Heavy rain along the lines of the storm of Wednesday night is far more dangerous to drive in, and no one demands that schools be close or postpone simply because of a thunderstorm.

And really, PP, to accuse me of being self-absorbed because I am capable of driving safely in weather that is normal for this area? That's just bizarre. I think it's the height of self-absorption to demand the world screech to a halt because you have some strange terror of very small amounts of precipitation.

What I said was *the region is full of drivers who are self absorbed, self entitled idiots*. What YOU read into it was *PP is such pearl clutching reactionary she has to stoop to the level of insulting MY driving and my driving alone! The nerve!*

[Anonymous]

Yep, self absorption is really the right choice of word for someone who has true concern for "others." I didn't even have to drive this morning-but others did. People may be hurt today in accidents that could have been avoided. That's my point. I have kids that ride buses. Even the bus driver this morning warned me if accidents he passed and to be careful out there-it's crazy. Our back roads are messy. Common sense, here.

[Anonymous]

They have to call it by 5:30am. Nothing was happening at 5:30. It came closer to 6 and it was too late then.

[Anonymous]

At 7 a.m. when I was driving my daughter 3 miles to high school, I passed three accidents on University Blvd. It had not yet been treated at all, and my anti-lock brakes came on once even though I was driving cautiously.

At 6 when I got up, it's true there wasn't a flake. But surely MCPS has heard of radar and could have seen the heavy band of snow on the way.

[Anonymous]

I was fine without a delay this morning. My neighborhood street was fine. I live in Rockville.

I thought the schools were crazy with the decision to dismiss early last Friday.

I grew up in the South and we had snow about once every 7 years in my county. The way the DC area has been panicky this year over every reference to "winter weather" has me rolling me eyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would not say DC routinely gets light snow. 3-4 delayed openings for MCPS is average, many years with none, and multiple years with no snow days at all, so maybe five snowfalls a year? I believe it's actually been two years without an inch of measurable snow. So a blizzard every five years doesn't create a routine. There's a difference between "shutting down" and making efforts (such as DELAYING opening, not closing) to reduce traffic on the roads during rush hour. On my commute from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring, I passed 11 accidents and disabled cars. Some were obviously high school students. My neighborhood roads and some of the not-quite-major streets (2-3 lanes each way) were untreated. You can drive on three or four inches of snow once it's packed down--driving in an inch of falling snow is a different story.

MCPS etc should have delayed opening today. Two hours to let traffic clear and roads get treated would have made everything much smoother.

You are out of your mind. There is no need for clearing snow because it was an inch or less - snow plows are neither necessary nor useful with such small amounts of snow.

If your HS student can't drive in an inch of snow, which is perfectly reasonable for a new driver, then don't let them drive to school today. MCPS does still have school buses, you know.

And sorry to burst your bubble, the DC area does routinely get small amounts of snow. Historically Washington DC averages about 15 inches of snow per year (based on records dating back to the late 1800s, source NOAA.)

Not out of my mind. I said to let the TRAFFIC clear (not clear the snow) and treat the roads.

Dating back to the late 1800s, surely there has been an average of 15 inches. Although I lifelong resident of the DC area, I am not quite that old. Here's the past six winters:
2007-2008: 4.9 inches
2008-2009: 7.5 inches
2009-2010: Snowmageddon
2010-2011: 10 inches, most of it in one snowstorm
2011-2012: <2 inches
2012-2013: 1.3 inches

(sources: http://www.wtop.com/41/3050937/5-years-of-DC-winters-Grading-the-Farmers-Almanac[u] ; [u]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang[u])

One of the past six years has had more than 15 inches. All in all, the morning would have gone much more smoothly had schools delayed opening by two hours today.

[Anonymous]

I agree with MCPS's decision today. An inch or less of snow should not be a problem at all. Drive your kids to school bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would not say DC routinely gets light snow. 3-4 delayed openings for MCPS is average, many years with none, and multiple years with no snow days at all, so maybe five snowfalls a year? I believe it's actually been two years without an inch of measurable snow. So a blizzard every five years doesn't create a routine. There's a difference between "shutting down" and making efforts (such as DELAYING opening, not closing) to reduce traffic on the roads during rush hour. On my commute from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring, I passed 11 accidents and disabled cars. Some were obviously high school students. My neighborhood roads and some of the not-quite-major streets (2-3 lanes each way) were untreated. You can drive on three or four inches of snow once it's packed down--driving in an inch of falling snow is a different story.

MCPS etc should have delayed opening today. Two hours to let traffic clear and roads get treated would have made everything much smoother.

You are out of your mind. There is no need for clearing snow because it was an inch or less - snow plows are neither necessary nor useful with such small amounts of snow.

If your HS student can't drive in an inch of snow, which is perfectly reasonable for a new driver, then don't let them drive to school today. MCPS does still have school buses, you know.

And sorry to burst your bubble, the DC area does routinely get small amounts of snow. Historically Washington DC averages about 15 inches of snow per year (based on records dating back to the late 1800s, source NOAA.)

Not out of my mind. I said to let the TRAFFIC clear (not clear the snow) and treat the roads.

Dating back to the late 1800s, surely there has been an average of 15 inches. Although I lifelong resident of the DC area, I am not quite that old. Here's the past six winters:
2007-2008: 4.9 inches
2008-2009: 7.5 inches
2009-2010: Snowmageddon
2010-2011: 10 inches, most of it in one snowstorm
2011-2012: <2 inches
2012-2013: 1.3 inches

(sources: http://www.wtop.com/41/3050937/5-years-of-DC-winters-Grading-the-Farmers-Almanac[u]

; [u]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang[u])

One of the past six years has had more than 15 inches. All in all, the morning would have gone much more smoothly had schools delayed opening by two hours today.



Yes it would have gone great for the high school teachers who had tests scheduled today. Instead of 47 minute periods a two hour delay means either skipping some periods (depending on the school) or 30 minute periods. That means delaying the tests until Monday.

No reason at all to delay school today.

[Anonymous]

Yes because MCPS values test results above everything else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would not say DC routinely gets light snow. 3-4 delayed openings for MCPS is average, many years with none, and multiple years with no snow days at all, so maybe five snowfalls a year? I believe it's actually been two years without an inch of measurable snow. So a blizzard every five years doesn't create a routine. There's a difference between "shutting down" and making efforts (such as DELAYING opening, not closing) to reduce traffic on the roads during rush hour. On my commute from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring, I passed 11 accidents and disabled cars. Some were obviously high school students. My neighborhood roads and some of the not-quite-major streets (2-3 lanes each way) were untreated. You can drive on three or four inches of snow once it's packed down--driving in an inch of falling snow is a different story.

MCPS etc should have delayed opening today. Two hours to let traffic clear and roads get treated would have made everything much smoother.

You are out of your mind. There is no need for clearing snow because it was an inch or less - snow plows are neither necessary nor useful with such small amounts of snow.

If your HS student can't drive in an inch of snow, which is perfectly reasonable for a new driver, then don't let them drive to school today. MCPS does still have school buses, you know.

And sorry to burst your bubble, the DC area does routinely get small amounts of snow. Historically Washington DC averages about 15 inches of snow per year (based on records dating back to the late 1800s, source NOAA.)

Not out of my mind. I said to let the TRAFFIC clear (not clear the snow) and treat the roads.

Dating back to the late 1800s, surely there has been an average of 15 inches. Although I lifelong resident of the DC area, I am not quite that old. Here's the past six winters:
2007-2008: 4.9 inches
2008-2009: 7.5 inches
2009-2010: Snowmageddon
2010-2011: 10 inches, most of it in one snowstorm
2011-2012: <2 inches
2012-2013: 1.3 inches

(sources: http://www.wtop.com/41/3050937/5-years-of-DC-winters-Grading-the-Farmers-Almanac[u]

; [u]http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang[u])

One of the past six years has had more than 15 inches. All in all, the morning would have gone much more smoothly had schools delayed opening by two hours today.

You obviously don't work with data. The point is clear: DC routinely gets small amounts of snow, and sometimes much more. If you find an inch of snow too traumatizing to venture out of the house, move to Miami (NOAA funds zero historical snow accumulation) or become a recluse. Your choice.

[Anonymous]

If you are a native, you know that once every decade we get a large storm. Other than that it's the piddly stuff and ice. I do agree that when there is ice a delay is warranted. What I don't get is the inconsistency with decisions. Normally, it's like they overreact for the first few storms/squals each year. Then things seem to settle into a pattern for the rest of the season. It just doesn't seem that way to me this season.