There's a Good Reason Why Southern Schools Cancel At The Threat of Snow

There's a long standing tradition in the south that seems to elude northerners; that is, our children get out of school for a mild dusting of snow or even the thought of snow.

Cancel school for the day and suddenly you hear the local snow birds making cracks about us being wimps.

And yet they are here because they've sought out warmer temps.

It's like this: you can't have both. Warm temps and snow capability.

They just don't go hand in hand.

Here in middle Tennessee, and in pretty much everywhere south of Kentucky, we see one, maybe two, snows per year. And if we're lucky, about once every 2 or 3 years we'll have what we deem a "good" snow; which equals an inch or more of snow. Ice not required.

So there's no need for us to spend hundreds of dollars on tire chains, shovels, and other winter weather accessories.

No, it's much more affordable to just cancel school for a day, or two, or three each year; and to stock up on milk, bread, and canned goods like we might have to buckboard it into town admist a blizzard.

And let's talk about the one year that school officials did decide to go against their better judgment.

Forecasters were predicting snow that was to arrive later in the afternoon. So, instead of wasting an allotted snow day, they figured the children could go and, at the first hint of snow, school would let out early.

Surprise! The system picked up speed. When it arrived mid-morning - hours before anticipated - school let out with a frenzy.

Too late, this snow was falling hard and fast; accumulating at Olympic speeds.

Because of the aforementioned lack of snow equipment, southern drivers don't manage well when the white fluffy stuff begins to fall.

And neither do bus drivers.

To make a long story short, I don't know a single mommy who likes it when her little Johnny is trapped on a school bus in the middle of a snow storm.

And so it is now...threat of snow equals no school.

Better to be safe than sorry....or to hear little Johnny's Mommy screaming over the phone.