They deleted the old Snowstorm post. Post here instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Around 10 years ago, we got a lot more snow. I want to say it was 2-3 feet. Our street took days to even see a plow but it was cleared. Fcps was closed for an entire 2 weeks.

Conditions now are MUCH worse than back then.

I was here for that. Conditions are not worse now. Like you said, for that storm many of us were trapped in our homes for almost a week before the plows could clear our streets because only the big plows could do it. Pick up truck plows were useless. For this storm people were out and about on the second day - going to the Starbucks and Chick-fil-a. This storm is definitely NOT worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Around 10 years ago, we got a lot more snow. I want to say it was 2-3 feet. Our street took days to even see a plow but it was cleared. Fcps was closed for an entire 2 weeks.

Conditions now are MUCH worse than back then.

I was here for that. Conditions are not worse now. Like you said, for that storm many of us were trapped in our homes for almost a week before the plows could clear our streets because only the big plows could do it. Pick up truck plows were useless. For this storm people were out and about on the second day - going to the Starbucks and Chick-fil-a. This storm is definitely NOT worse.

Yes it is. We have mountains of snowcrete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers really think it's unsafe for them to go to school?
(Not talking about kid and bus safety).

I find it unreasonable and unreal. That's exactly why they get a bad rap for being whiny.

If you want an honest answer, you should refrain from using the unnecessary ad hominem attack.
As a teacher, I’m not worried about my own safety. I’ll work on de-icing my car this weekend, and I’ll get to school early enough to avoid possible parking lot disasters.

I am worried about the kids and the busses, though.

Have you really not had to leave your house yet? Is your street not plowed at all or something?

I can’t back my car out of its parking space and I don’t own a shovel. I’ll figure something out. I’m from the South and just wasn’t prepared for this kind of thing. I didn’t know snow could turn into hard immovable blocks of ice - I hate it.

You don’t own a shovel? How long have you lived here?

Five years - I never needed a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted. If I may “whine” a little (for therapeutic reasons), the earliest I can get a shovel delivered is Monday night, my condo association just told me they don’t have any available to loan me, and the maintenance men who are making use of said shovels are not working on unblocking cars from their parking spaces. They’re shoveling the walkways… apparently. My courtyard is still pure ice. I guess I’m going to have to interact with my neighbors so I can borrow a shovel. Ugh. That means I’ll need to have hour-long conversations about someone’s kidney stones or heart problems.

The last two Januarys we had significant snow where you would have needed a shovel. You should always shovel your car out asap in case of emergencies. I’m going to assume you don’t have kids.

Actually, I didn’t need a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted enough that it didn’t impede my car. Now I know! I’ll be prepared for the next snow/ice fall, for sure.

How could your car have been shoveled out for the last two Januarys? There was quite a bit of snow.

You also should keep ice melt on hand to treat the area around your car. Also, you need an ice scraper and brush to keep in your car.

I have a scraper and brush for my car, thankfully. I live in an apartment complex, so the parking lot is mostly cleared out but there is a large block of ice behind my car that I need to remove. I’ll figure something out. I don’t understand why people need to disparage me for not having a well-developed “home and car repair” skill set, but I’m a teacher and it is my instinct to be kind and encouraging to people who are still learning.

Unreasonable responses. A four inch covering of solid ice is not something that anyone would be expected to deal with.

Except this happened LAST YEAR. Not the amount of sleet or specifics of this particular storm, but it was the cold weather and ice that kept the kids out of school for nearly the entire first week back after the holidays.

I'm so tired of "this never happens here, we simply don't know how to handle it!" when it fact does happen with enough regularity that the people in charge need to know how to handle it.

No ma’am. It was not the same. We had heavy snow on Monday followed by temps ranging from 34-45 degreee. Students returned with a two-hour delay on January 10. The temperature rose to 40 degrees by lunchtime.

We’ve had bitter cold temperatures all week. Nothing is melting. THAT is different.

If you shovel down to visible blacktop, streets, driveways and sidewalks are melting just fine. Insofar as this is an emergency it is of residents own making.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Around 10 years ago, we got a lot more snow. I want to say it was 2-3 feet. Our street took days to even see a plow but it was cleared. Fcps was closed for an entire 2 weeks.

Conditions now are MUCH worse than back then.

I was here for that. Conditions are not worse now. Like you said, for that storm many of us were trapped in our homes for almost a week before the plows could clear our streets because only the big plows could do it. Pick up truck plows were useless. For this storm people were out and about on the second day - going to the Starbucks and Chick-fil-a. This storm is definitely NOT worse.

That was snow. This is ice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers really think it's unsafe for them to go to school?
(Not talking about kid and bus safety).

I find it unreasonable and unreal. That's exactly why they get a bad rap for being whiny.

If you want an honest answer, you should refrain from using the unnecessary ad hominem attack.
As a teacher, I’m not worried about my own safety. I’ll work on de-icing my car this weekend, and I’ll get to school early enough to avoid possible parking lot disasters.

I am worried about the kids and the busses, though.

Have you really not had to leave your house yet? Is your street not plowed at all or something?

I can’t back my car out of its parking space and I don’t own a shovel. I’ll figure something out. I’m from the South and just wasn’t prepared for this kind of thing. I didn’t know snow could turn into hard immovable blocks of ice - I hate it.

You don’t own a shovel? How long have you lived here?

Five years - I never needed a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted. If I may “whine” a little (for therapeutic reasons), the earliest I can get a shovel delivered is Monday night, my condo association just told me they don’t have any available to loan me, and the maintenance men who are making use of said shovels are not working on unblocking cars from their parking spaces. They’re shoveling the walkways… apparently. My courtyard is still pure ice. I guess I’m going to have to interact with my neighbors so I can borrow a shovel. Ugh. That means I’ll need to have hour-long conversations about someone’s kidney stones or heart problems.

The last two Januarys we had significant snow where you would have needed a shovel. You should always shovel your car out asap in case of emergencies. I’m going to assume you don’t have kids.

Actually, I didn’t need a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted enough that it didn’t impede my car. Now I know! I’ll be prepared for the next snow/ice fall, for sure.

How could your car have been shoveled out for the last two Januarys? There was quite a bit of snow.

You also should keep ice melt on hand to treat the area around your car. Also, you need an ice scraper and brush to keep in your car.

I have a scraper and brush for my car, thankfully. I live in an apartment complex, so the parking lot is mostly cleared out but there is a large block of ice behind my car that I need to remove. I’ll figure something out. I don’t understand why people need to disparage me for not having a well-developed “home and car repair” skill set, but I’m a teacher and it is my instinct to be kind and encouraging to people who are still learning.

Unreasonable responses. A four inch covering of solid ice is not something that anyone would be expected to deal with.

Except this happened LAST YEAR. Not the amount of sleet or specifics of this particular storm, but it was the cold weather and ice that kept the kids out of school for nearly the entire first week back after the holidays.

I'm so tired of "this never happens here, we simply don't know how to handle it!" when it fact does happen with enough regularity that the people in charge need to know how to handle it.

No ma’am. It was not the same. We had heavy snow on Monday followed by temps ranging from 34-45 degreee. Students returned with a two-hour delay on January 10. The temperature rose to 40 degrees by lunchtime.

We’ve had bitter cold temperatures all week. Nothing is melting. THAT is different.

If you shovel down to visible blacktop, streets, driveways and sidewalks are melting just fine. Insofar as this is an emergency it is of residents own making.

No, residents can't remove snowcrete from intersections that are unsafe or roadways reduced to less lanes or barely one usable lane. Even if residents have removed the ice from sidewalks, many roads remain unsafe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers really think it's unsafe for them to go to school?
(Not talking about kid and bus safety).

I find it unreasonable and unreal. That's exactly why they get a bad rap for being whiny.

If you want an honest answer, you should refrain from using the unnecessary ad hominem attack.
As a teacher, I’m not worried about my own safety. I’ll work on de-icing my car this weekend, and I’ll get to school early enough to avoid possible parking lot disasters.

I am worried about the kids and the busses, though.

Have you really not had to leave your house yet? Is your street not plowed at all or something?

I can’t back my car out of its parking space and I don’t own a shovel. I’ll figure something out. I’m from the South and just wasn’t prepared for this kind of thing. I didn’t know snow could turn into hard immovable blocks of ice - I hate it.

You don’t own a shovel? How long have you lived here?

Five years - I never needed a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted. If I may “whine” a little (for therapeutic reasons), the earliest I can get a shovel delivered is Monday night, my condo association just told me they don’t have any available to loan me, and the maintenance men who are making use of said shovels are not working on unblocking cars from their parking spaces. They’re shoveling the walkways… apparently. My courtyard is still pure ice. I guess I’m going to have to interact with my neighbors so I can borrow a shovel. Ugh. That means I’ll need to have hour-long conversations about someone’s kidney stones or heart problems.

The last two Januarys we had significant snow where you would have needed a shovel. You should always shovel your car out asap in case of emergencies. I’m going to assume you don’t have kids.

Actually, I didn’t need a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted enough that it didn’t impede my car. Now I know! I’ll be prepared for the next snow/ice fall, for sure.

How could your car have been shoveled out for the last two Januarys? There was quite a bit of snow.

You also should keep ice melt on hand to treat the area around your car. Also, you need an ice scraper and brush to keep in your car.

I have a scraper and brush for my car, thankfully. I live in an apartment complex, so the parking lot is mostly cleared out but there is a large block of ice behind my car that I need to remove. I’ll figure something out. I don’t understand why people need to disparage me for not having a well-developed “home and car repair” skill set, but I’m a teacher and it is my instinct to be kind and encouraging to people who are still learning.

Unreasonable responses. A four inch covering of solid ice is not something that anyone would be expected to deal with.

Except this happened LAST YEAR. Not the amount of sleet or specifics of this particular storm, but it was the cold weather and ice that kept the kids out of school for nearly the entire first week back after the holidays.

I'm so tired of "this never happens here, we simply don't know how to handle it!" when it fact does happen with enough regularity that the people in charge need to know how to handle it.

No ma’am. It was not the same. We had heavy snow on Monday followed by temps ranging from 34-45 degreee. Students returned with a two-hour delay on January 10. The temperature rose to 40 degrees by lunchtime.

We’ve had bitter cold temperatures all week. Nothing is melting. THAT is different.

If you shovel down to visible blacktop, streets, driveways and sidewalks are melting just fine. Insofar as this is an emergency it is of residents own making.

No, residents can't remove snowcrete from intersections that are unsafe or roadways reduced to less lanes or barely one usable lane. Even if residents have removed the ice from sidewalks, many roads remain unsafe.

Dp. Where are you that the intersections are still unsafe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers really think it's unsafe for them to go to school?
(Not talking about kid and bus safety).

I find it unreasonable and unreal. That's exactly why they get a bad rap for being whiny.

If you want an honest answer, you should refrain from using the unnecessary ad hominem attack.
As a teacher, I’m not worried about my own safety. I’ll work on de-icing my car this weekend, and I’ll get to school early enough to avoid possible parking lot disasters.

I am worried about the kids and the busses, though.

Have you really not had to leave your house yet? Is your street not plowed at all or something?

I can’t back my car out of its parking space and I don’t own a shovel. I’ll figure something out. I’m from the South and just wasn’t prepared for this kind of thing. I didn’t know snow could turn into hard immovable blocks of ice - I hate it.

You don’t own a shovel? How long have you lived here?

Five years - I never needed a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted. If I may “whine” a little (for therapeutic reasons), the earliest I can get a shovel delivered is Monday night, my condo association just told me they don’t have any available to loan me, and the maintenance men who are making use of said shovels are not working on unblocking cars from their parking spaces. They’re shoveling the walkways… apparently. My courtyard is still pure ice. I guess I’m going to have to interact with my neighbors so I can borrow a shovel. Ugh. That means I’ll need to have hour-long conversations about someone’s kidney stones or heart problems.

The last two Januarys we had significant snow where you would have needed a shovel. You should always shovel your car out asap in case of emergencies. I’m going to assume you don’t have kids.

Actually, I didn’t need a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted enough that it didn’t impede my car. Now I know! I’ll be prepared for the next snow/ice fall, for sure.

How could your car have been shoveled out for the last two Januarys? There was quite a bit of snow.

You also should keep ice melt on hand to treat the area around your car. Also, you need an ice scraper and brush to keep in your car.

I have a scraper and brush for my car, thankfully. I live in an apartment complex, so the parking lot is mostly cleared out but there is a large block of ice behind my car that I need to remove. I’ll figure something out. I don’t understand why people need to disparage me for not having a well-developed “home and car repair” skill set, but I’m a teacher and it is my instinct to be kind and encouraging to people who are still learning.

Unreasonable responses. A four inch covering of solid ice is not something that anyone would be expected to deal with.

Except this happened LAST YEAR. Not the amount of sleet or specifics of this particular storm, but it was the cold weather and ice that kept the kids out of school for nearly the entire first week back after the holidays.

I'm so tired of "this never happens here, we simply don't know how to handle it!" when it fact does happen with enough regularity that the people in charge need to know how to handle it.

No ma’am. It was not the same. We had heavy snow on Monday followed by temps ranging from 34-45 degreee. Students returned with a two-hour delay on January 10. The temperature rose to 40 degrees by lunchtime.

We’ve had bitter cold temperatures all week. Nothing is melting. THAT is different.

If you shovel down to visible blacktop, streets, driveways and sidewalks are melting just fine. Insofar as this is an emergency it is of residents own making.

No, residents can't remove snowcrete from intersections that are unsafe or roadways reduced to less lanes or barely one usable lane. Even if residents have removed the ice from sidewalks, many roads remain unsafe.

I've been halfway across the county in both directions yesterday and today taking my kids to futsal games, basketball practices, birthday parties. At most some turn lanes are blocked. It's fine. All the other people out there prove it. Fun Land in Chantilly was packed to capacity today. If parents can get their kids to laser tag and video games, they can get them to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at a school that has to have teachers park in the neighborhood. If the streets aren’t plowed to allow for parking, there is no where to park.

Same at my school

I love the parents complaining who go to jobs with parking garages and buildings with guaranteed heat in their offices. Many of us will show up to piles of snow in parking spots and need to park two blocks away with the choice to either walk down dangerous roads or climb ad walk on top of piles of ice and snow that cover neighborhood sidewalks. Then for a bonus we get chilly~cold buildings.

You realize that every single other business and even GMU and the DC public school system are all open as of today, right? Somehow FCPS is extra allergic to snow.

GMU opened yesterday and today. Parking is not right near buildings except for handicapped and temporary loading. Parking is on the perimeter of campus even for faculty and staff. Garage spots are very expensive and limited. Many sidewalks and walkways not cleared, including some hilly paths. And of course classes require walking from one building to another in the cold, sometimes all the way across campus. I think if GMU students and faculty/staff can handle it, FCPS teachers will survive.

GMU students have been complaining, falling and posting photos of the poor conditions. One claims there have been plenty of lawsuits over the years from students falling on icy walkways. I don't know if it's true, but that is simply what I heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at a school that has to have teachers park in the neighborhood. If the streets aren’t plowed to allow for parking, there is no where to park.

Same at my school

I love the parents complaining who go to jobs with parking garages and buildings with guaranteed heat in their offices. Many of us will show up to piles of snow in parking spots and need to park two blocks away with the choice to either walk down dangerous roads or climb ad walk on top of piles of ice and snow that cover neighborhood sidewalks. Then for a bonus we get chilly~cold buildings.

You realize that every single other business and even GMU and the DC public school system are all open as of today, right? Somehow FCPS is extra allergic to snow.

GMU opened yesterday and today. Parking is not right near buildings except for handicapped and temporary loading. Parking is on the perimeter of campus even for faculty and staff. Garage spots are very expensive and limited. Many sidewalks and walkways not cleared, including some hilly paths. And of course classes require walking from one building to another in the cold, sometimes all the way across campus. I think if GMU students and faculty/staff can handle it, FCPS teachers will survive.

Good for GMU, but I’m not sure the comparison is a sound one for many reasons. FCPS has multiple campuses across a very large county, its student population is under 18, and many of those students’ are litigious blamers.

I’m pretty sure what teachers want or don’t want isn‘t going to factor into the decision whether schools open or close, so pick another straw man, my friend.

Many professors held virtual classes as well, that helped.

This is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work at a school that has to have teachers park in the neighborhood. If the streets aren’t plowed to allow for parking, there is no where to park.

Same at my school

I love the parents complaining who go to jobs with parking garages and buildings with guaranteed heat in their offices. Many of us will show up to piles of snow in parking spots and need to park two blocks away with the choice to either walk down dangerous roads or climb ad walk on top of piles of ice and snow that cover neighborhood sidewalks. Then for a bonus we get chilly~cold buildings.

You realize that every single other business and even GMU and the DC public school system are all open as of today, right? Somehow FCPS is extra allergic to snow.

GMU opened yesterday and today. Parking is not right near buildings except for handicapped and temporary loading. Parking is on the perimeter of campus even for faculty and staff. Garage spots are very expensive and limited. Many sidewalks and walkways not cleared, including some hilly paths. And of course classes require walking from one building to another in the cold, sometimes all the way across campus. I think if GMU students and faculty/staff can handle it, FCPS teachers will survive.

GMU students have been complaining, falling and posting photos of the poor conditions. One claims there have been plenty of lawsuits over the years from students falling on icy walkways. I don't know if it's true, but that is simply what I heard.

Are you referring to the GMU Reddit? I think that’s a whiny bunch not representative of most students. Kind of like how most online forums don’t represent the larger population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do teachers really think it's unsafe for them to go to school?
(Not talking about kid and bus safety).

I find it unreasonable and unreal. That's exactly why they get a bad rap for being whiny.

If you want an honest answer, you should refrain from using the unnecessary ad hominem attack.
As a teacher, I’m not worried about my own safety. I’ll work on de-icing my car this weekend, and I’ll get to school early enough to avoid possible parking lot disasters.

I am worried about the kids and the busses, though.

Have you really not had to leave your house yet? Is your street not plowed at all or something?

I can’t back my car out of its parking space and I don’t own a shovel. I’ll figure something out. I’m from the South and just wasn’t prepared for this kind of thing. I didn’t know snow could turn into hard immovable blocks of ice - I hate it.

You don’t own a shovel? How long have you lived here?

Five years - I never needed a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted. If I may “whine” a little (for therapeutic reasons), the earliest I can get a shovel delivered is Monday night, my condo association just told me they don’t have any available to loan me, and the maintenance men who are making use of said shovels are not working on unblocking cars from their parking spaces. They’re shoveling the walkways… apparently. My courtyard is still pure ice. I guess I’m going to have to interact with my neighbors so I can borrow a shovel. Ugh. That means I’ll need to have hour-long conversations about someone’s kidney stones or heart problems.

The last two Januarys we had significant snow where you would have needed a shovel. You should always shovel your car out asap in case of emergencies. I’m going to assume you don’t have kids.

Actually, I didn’t need a shovel before. The snow was soft or melted enough that it didn’t impede my car. Now I know! I’ll be prepared for the next snow/ice fall, for sure.

How could your car have been shoveled out for the last two Januarys? There was quite a bit of snow.

You also should keep ice melt on hand to treat the area around your car. Also, you need an ice scraper and brush to keep in your car.

I have a scraper and brush for my car, thankfully. I live in an apartment complex, so the parking lot is mostly cleared out but there is a large block of ice behind my car that I need to remove. I’ll figure something out. I don’t understand why people need to disparage me for not having a well-developed “home and car repair” skill set, but I’m a teacher and it is my instinct to be kind and encouraging to people who are still learning.

Unreasonable responses. A four inch covering of solid ice is not something that anyone would be expected to deal with.

Except this happened LAST YEAR. Not the amount of sleet or specifics of this particular storm, but it was the cold weather and ice that kept the kids out of school for nearly the entire first week back after the holidays.

I'm so tired of "this never happens here, we simply don't know how to handle it!" when it fact does happen with enough regularity that the people in charge need to know how to handle it.

No ma’am. It was not the same. We had heavy snow on Monday followed by temps ranging from 34-45 degreee. Students returned with a two-hour delay on January 10. The temperature rose to 40 degrees by lunchtime.

We’ve had bitter cold temperatures all week. Nothing is melting. THAT is different.

If you shovel down to visible blacktop, streets, driveways and sidewalks are melting just fine. Insofar as this is an emergency it is of residents own making.

LOL