Some People....Winter Stories

[kitchenelf]

We have snow days but mostly they should be called "ice days". Mountains, curvy, hilly roads and ice do not mix with school buses. People here don't have chains or snow tires. The city doesn't have a boat load of plows either...just the bare minimum to keep the major roads clear. If you live out a bit you are stuck! But MOSTLY, ice is the issue.

The way we "get" the snow makes a difference too. We normally start with rain, turning to ice, then turning to snow. Doesn't make for great driving conditions.

 

[kitchenelf]

I freaked a bit and then walked home.

Awww - I can see that hint of "oh no" in your eyes and then your brain went into action!

 

[Alix]

I remember thinking I was going to be in so much trouble for not getting in to the school. I thought my Mom was going to kill me! LOL

 

[LPBeier]

The only "snow days" I remember on the prairies were when I was back there for university. I lived on campus at the University of Regina and worked in our dorm cafeteria which was also the main one for students and staff. The University was on the edge of town (at that time) and quite isolated with a park on one side and vacant land on the other.

I remember one winter we had a blizzard so bad that the plows couldn't keep up and ours was the last area they could get to. The campus was shut down for 3 days and anyone who was there who lived off campus was stuck there and anyone who lived off and worked there couldn't get in. It was great for me because I got lots of hours in as we had such a skeleton staff to feed so many extra people. We just kept cranking out the food, hoping we wouldn't run out!

 

[Maverick2272]

We didn't have snow days, the Principle and Superintendent were against them. One time he ordered all the buses to pick up us 'country' kids after an ice storm and bring us into school. I can remember the buses sliding all over the road, and a couple that didn't even make it in.
To make matters worse, a blizzard moved in after school started and we all ended up stuck there well into the night. And by stuck there I mean the State Patrol showed up and had to order the Superintendent not to try and stick us back on the buses to go home.
The town kids all got to go home, us country kids got stuck there until shortly after midnight when roads were clear enough for the State Patrol to allow us to either be picked up by parents or dropped off by the school buses.
We lived about a mile off the highway on a gravel road, so when there was lots of snow or after blizzards and such our dad would actually take us up to the highway on the snowmobile and pick us up that was as well.
Ahh.... good times... good times.

 

[PieSusan]

Living in the snow belt with lake effect snow, I remember a lot of snow days as a kid, especially the winter of 1976. We had snow drifts up to our lamppost. It was crazy cold, too.