Snow Days

A favorite moment as a kid was to wake up to a world blanketed in fresh snow: the road, the rooftops, the tree branches covered in a soft white.

I’d rush to the portable radio and dial it to 1410 AM, our local station, and wait for the school closure list to be read on the half hour. The anticipation of an unscheduled day off from school mounted as the minute hand approached the top of the hour.

Announcements were read alphabetically. The wait could be excruciating long.

I’d pass the time studying the road conditions from my bedroom window, judge the probability of a day off by the number of cars traveling by: fewer cars, higher odds. Tires struggling to gain traction in the snow packs, a good sign. If wheels spun in place or vehicles fishtailed on turns, I knew the odds of a school closure increased significantly.

We haven’t experienced a measurable snowfall for several years now. And the Covid years eliminated the need to close down buildings all together. Still, I miss the excitement meteorologists can ignite at the hint of a developing winter nor’easter. The kind of storm that produces feet and bonus days off.

Our state just set a new record, warmest February ever. Not the kind of news tired teachers like to hear as we head into the longest stretch of the year, no-days-off–March.

Come on Mother Nature, throw us a bone.