Snow Days Then Versus Now

Ahhhh snow days. They're the best. Well, some of you might disagree. I know it's a problem if you have to leave your house for work or other activities. But, for us snow lovers who rarely get to see it, snow is a beautiful event.

However, snow days, like everything else, have changed over the years. I'm about to sound like your parents with this discussion. But, I remember when I was a kid praying for snow days. We lived in Texas. So, those days were few and far between. We knew, though, as ill-prepared for inclement weather as the Lone Star State was, we were sure to get a day off from school if things took a turn.

That being said, school districts back in the day didn't call off school without a huge debate. Things had to be devastatingly treacherous for our district to declare a late opening or early dismissal. And, the complete call off of school was an even tougher feat.

So, here's how it happened in my little home town. Let's say the forecast called for sleet, snow, ice, etc. starting late on a Sunday night with no hope for temps above freezing before morning. These days districts make the call early on with whatever information they have. That allows parents to plan and make arrangements for snow days.

Back in the day in my town, the call for snow days would never have been made ahead of time. Board members feared that rapscallion teens might tear the town up if they knew the bell wasn't going to ring the next morning. Yes, I grew up in the town from 'Footloose.' LOL. So, our Superintendent of Schools literally woke up at the crack of dawn and drove the bus routes in his car. If he found them passable, school was on. If his car slid and skidded, he might declare a later start or day off.

And, when it came to informing the students and parents of the news...there was no online or social media to announce our snow days. We had to watch the news to see our school name scrolled on the screen. It was alphabetical. If you missed yours, you had to wait for it to start over again. We couldn't just back it up and rewatch. And that was really a problem for the kids in the Zebulon district. We could also listen to the radio for the announcement. My dad worked on the local station. So, I did have an inside track sometimes.

Bottom line...snow days can be fun no matter how hard you have to work for them. We played with the neighborhood kids, made snow ice cream and drank hot chocolate. And, we didn't worry about the snow being toxic. We ate it with sugar and vanilla and sweetened condensed milk...yes, the kind in the can with all the chemicals and preservatives. What a time to be alive!

Things are different now. But, we can still have fun with it. So, be safe, stay in if you can and enjoy your modern day snow day.