Businesses, Schools Prep For Snow, Arctic Blast
Denise Yost
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By Denise Yost
Managing Editor, nbc4i.com
Published: January 13, 2009
CENTRAL OHIO—As snow fell Tuesday, Central Ohio residents prepared for an arctic blast later in the week.
Tuesday’s snowfall was familiar for residents in Knox County, where Storm Team 4 meteorologist Jym Ganahl predicted blizzard-like conditions Wednesday.
The area saw about 4 inches of snowfall over the past week and residents are eyeing the temperatures, wind and forecast, NBC 4‘s Marcus Thorpe reported.
Five trucks within the city of Mount Vernon will be spreading a 50/50 mix of salt and grit during 12-hour shifts.
The forecasted snowfall has not made area small business owners happy. They said diminished foot traffic and slumping sales is a recipe for more tough times.
Conversely, the weather is helping local hardware stores. The Do It Best shop in Centerburg ran out of rock salt and the push for shovels, scrapers, sand and other wintry items is only expected to increase in the coming days.
Businesses aren’t the only ones preparing for the wintry weather. School districts around Central Ohio are preparing families for a snow day. Wind chills are expected to be below zero, making it dangerous for students to stand outside and wait for their school bus or walk to school.
South-Western City Schools officials told NBC 4‘s Candice Lee that calling off school due to snow or cold temperatures begins at 2 a.m.
A team of administrators including the superintendent hit the roads looking at road conditions, snow levels, ice, and the wind chill.
“We have urban areas, we have suburban areas and we have rural areas. So the snow clearance in each of those areas is different as are the icy conditions, the wind conditions,“ said Sandy Nekoloff, of South-Western City Schools.
They also make sure buses will start and are able to pick up the 14,000 students that transport them to school.
Columbus City Schools spokesperson Jeff Warner said there is no state law mandating school cancellations and the decision is solely at the discretion of the superintendent. New Albany, Dublin and Westerville schools had similar policies to South-Western City Schools, but only Westerville City Schools has a statement concerning wind chills.
In a November letter to parents, Superintendent Dr. J. Daniel good explained that wind chills at or below -15 degrees during key walking and waiting-for-bus times are given special consideration.
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Posted by ( cinq ) on January 13, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Dear Ols School Values:
The point that I was trying to make is to parents: Yes schools will open with no heat and operate classrooms with no heat. To say otherwise in my experience is a lie. Unions help because they will SAY that the room and or building is not occupable. Why wouldn’t a competent administrator do that on their own? By the way, in my district which serves 75-90% of its population free and reduced lunch/breakfast coats, gloves and hats are not always available. Many kids by the age of 14-17 won’t even admit that they don’t have those essential items. So to say my remarks puzzle you is an insult. Maybe your brain was frozen the day the teachers taught you to spell family in the plural form!!
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Posted by ( OldSchoolValues ) on January 13, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Cinq - Your comments are puzzling. If your union has prevented kids from sitting in classrooms with no heat, then the issue is corrected and its not an arguement. If kids are still sitting in classrooms with no heat, your union has done nothing to correct the issue. If classrooms have no heat, which I highly doubt, schools should be canceled anytime the temperature is below 40deg.
This is not an issue for how great the teachers union is, stay on point!
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Posted by ( mykidzmom ) on January 13, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I for one appreciate it when our school administrators put the needs of my children ahead of parents who don’t want to be “inconvenienced” by their kids staying home! Unfortunately, not all children have the appropriate garments to keep them warm and dry, and on a day when temperatures are well below zero with the wind chill, I’m sure there are many children who suffer!
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Posted by ( cinq ) on January 13, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Although it may not be as cold in Ohio as in other states, keep in mind not all facilities such as schools have operating heat as parents would expect. I have taught high school for 17 years and can honestly say kids have had to sit in rooms where left overwater bottles have frozen solid. No human being should have to sit in such temperatures for 45-52 minutes. If it wasn’t for the teacher unions, kids would have had to stay in those rooms. No coats, gloves etc.. are designed for extended periods of cold temperatures. If people think such is not the case, they ought to speak to more teachers!
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Posted by ( critz33 ) on January 13, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Those people are probably used to that weather by now. I’m from Chicago and Ohio gets no where near what Chicago gets and schools there close down and buses do not run. I do not want my child waiting for the bus in such cold tempertures and he has all the proper garments. Not to mention school buses sometimes do not want to start or the heat does not work properly so transportation departments can not run a route properly…keep in mind all of the factors.
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Posted by ( OldSchoolValues ) on January 13, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Schools in OH should never be canceled for windchill factors/temperature. It doesn’t get that cold here. That’s why they make coats, hats, and gloves. Famalies in upper MI, WI, MN, SD and ND seem to manage all year without cancelations due to temperature. Buy your kids the proper garmets!!!
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