All Washtenaw County school districts declare snow day today; prepare for bitter cold, slippery roads
All of Washtenaw County's traditional school districts have called off classes today, citing the snow-covered roadways and extreme cold temperatures as factors.
Many had declared snow days by Sunday evening, and the rest — including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Willow Run and Lincoln — made the decision not to have classes early this morning.
The complete Washtenaw County school closings list:
- Ann Arbor Public Schools
- Back to Basics Montessori
- Clonlara School
- Chelsea School District
- Daycroft Montessori
- Dexter Community Schools
- Emerson School
- Father Gabriel Richard High School, Ann Arbor
- Fortis Charter Academy
- Honey Creek Community School
- Lincoln Consolidated
- Manchester Community Schools
- Milan Public Schools
- Rudolf Steiner High-Lower Schools
- Saline Area Schools
- Spiritus Sanctus Academy, Joy Road
- St. Paul Lutheran
- Summers-Knoll School
- Washtenaw Christian Academy
- Washtenaw Intermediate School District
- Whitmore Lake Schools
- Willow Run Community Schools
- Ypsilanti Public Schools
A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 1 p.m. today. The National Weather Service says hazardous conditions remain this morning, with snow-covered roads and drifting snow.
Michigan State Police Trooper Duane Zook said at 5:45 a.m. that troopers were busy all night with crashes and spin-outs, predominately on US-23 near I-94 and on I-94 east of US-23 to Rawsonville Road. A crash at I-94 and Rawsonville Road was being cleared at 5:45 a.m.
No serious injuries were reported in the more than 30 accidents, which Zook said were primarily caused by people driving too fast for the road conditions. He said a lack of salt on the roadways also hasn't helped to improve conditions.
Many local residents went sledding Sunday as the snow came down. Adam Rose Sr. and his son Adam, 9, took a break from sledding at Vets Memorial Park.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
Zook said this morning's commute will be treacherous for many, and he urged drivers to give themselves extra time and pay attention to road conditions.
High winds are expected to lead to scattered power outages around the region today, the National Weather Service said.
In Washtenaw County, 2,500 people remained without power this morning, according to DTE Energy. In total, about 40,000 customers in DTE's coverage area were still in the dark this morning — down from 62,000 on Sunday night.
In total, the storm dumped 4 to 5 inches of snow in Washtenaw County, with an official reading of 4.7 inches in Ann Arbor, National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Gurney said this morning.
Gurney said the storm system started with rain Saturday night, which changed to snow Sunday morning and continued on and off all day. Suburbs north of M-59 saw 6-7 inches of snow, while Huron County was slammed with more than a foot of snow and continues to see blizzard-like conditions this morning, Gurney said.
The storm is over for us — but has been replaced by low temperatures and wind. The temperatures stood at 10 degrees with a wind chill of 2 below zero at 5:30 a.m. in Ann Arbor, Gurney said.
"We expect that to continue through the day, with temperatures in the lower teens at best," Gurney said.
When temperatures are this low, that presents added challenges for road crews since salt doesn't work as well, Gurney said. He warned that motorists will definitely see some slick spots throughout the day.
Looking ahead, no major systems are predicted anytime soon, Gurney said.
Comments
Number6fan
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:06 p.m.
All I know is when I was a boy we walked 5 miles to school in 2 feet of snow not knowing whether we had school or not. We were thankful after 4 mile (not "miles") if someone returning from the school told us it was closed. yes-ser those were the days...
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 3:50 p.m.
I receive an email message with a link to the recording. Which would be my preference regardless, so I wonder what I did right.
sun runner
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 2:29 p.m.
I grew up in the Snow Belt of northeast Ohio, where snowfall of this "magnitude" would barely have raised an eyebrow. School buses ran with a foot of new snow on the ground; I was lucky if I got one snow day per school year. Some years I didn't get any. Here, four inches of snow is enough to cause upheaval and panic. This is Michigan, the "winter wonderland," I thought we were tougher that this. And on that note...it's too dangerous to send thousands of schoolkids and school employees to work, but for the rest of us poor working stiffs, we just have to take our lives into our hands and brave the roads? How is that fair? I want a snow day, too! Take note; there are no "snow days" in the real world, so enjoy them while you can, kids. Also...my parents have 30 inches of snow in their backyard and life goes on as usual there. Can you imagine the chaos if that much snow fell around here? We would be declared a natural disaster area!
janejane
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 12:21 p.m.
@robyn... you have a heart of gold....I hope someone (in fact all the working moms) give you a day off, too...and replenish your supplies!
5c0++ H4d13y
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 11:23 a.m.
As Bubb Rubb would say, "Dat's only in the mornin'. You 'posed to be up cookin' breakfast for somebody and so, that's like a alarm clock. Woo wooo!!!"
ChrisW
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:44 a.m.
The Ann Arbor Schools web site says that the calls won't go out before 6am. I guess someone forgot. "Calls and email messages will be sent when school is closed due to weather or other reasons (power outage, etc.). When at all possible, we will alert families the evening before that school will be closed the next day; such calls will go out no later than 11pm. Unfortunately, there are many times when this is not possible (e.g. power outage, boiler/furnace out, and some weather closings); in these cases, calls will go out no earlier than 6am." Having said that, what I really want is a push notification to my iPhone that turns off the alarm so we can sleep in without getting annoyed. Unfortunately there's no way to do that given the current phone software.
ummsw
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:39 a.m.
Would have appreciated a call before 11:00pm...however I was glad to get a call instead of continually calling the hot line. Both the hot line and TV were updated after the call.
robyn
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:33 a.m.
I knew school was out last night - since I'm the neighborhood stay at home Mom - I get a house full of kids today because some parents are working. My phone was ringing last night and this morning. Thank goodness I'm stocked up on hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookie mix!
MjC
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:23 a.m.
I always loved telling my kids it was a "snow day" - despite all the complications it created with my job.
sh1
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.
People may find this info helpful re opt-outs: http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.forparents/schoolmessenger_faqs
SpartyInExile
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 10:09 a.m.
Why wait until 5:00 am? Chelsea, Dexter and Saline all called it before 11:00 pm. I hope we are not basing AAPS policy on decisions made by those bastions of education; Willow Run, Lincoln and Ypsilanti.
YpsiLivin
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:58 a.m.
sh1, A low-tech suggestion indeed. Sadly, the notification systems are not as low-tech. The notification systems the schools use will call a pre-programmed set of numbers, including home, work, cell, of one parent, then the home, work, cell of the other parent, etc. and will track whether they get a human response. How persistent the system is depends upon how the school/district has the system set up. For some systems, failing to get a human response means that the system will then move to the alternate emergency contacts (could be grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, etc.) So, while turning off the ringer might get you an extra hour of sleep, you might also end up burning through some good will among extended family and/or friends.
Barb
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
I'm with @Malorie - I cannot believe how much people complain about a system that's *giving* you info without you lifting a finger. Wow, ya'll can complain about anything.
YpsiLivin
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:45 a.m.
Malorie said:...since I have read before that they cancel classes if the local schools cancel due to weather. Per WCC's Closing Policy on its Web page - the College does not close the main campus due to weather conditions. That policy has been in place for about ten years. Having said that, I have seen them cancel or delay the start of classes, but generally, the decisions of the local public school districts are irrelevant to the daily operation of the College.
sh1
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:44 a.m.
I might recommend turning off the ringer on your phones the next time a snow day is possible. Low tech, but easy.
ViSHa
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:39 a.m.
i want to rely on the internet or whatever to find out about school closings. does aaps provide a way to opt out of the phone calls?
5c0++ H4d13y
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:33 a.m.
It's pretty funny that a bunch of people posting on the internet are relying on phone calls, TV and radio to find out if schools are closed.
5c0++ H4d13y
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:31 a.m.
@Edward Ridetrack gets more unreliable the more the busses are off schedule.
sh1
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:30 a.m.
@glimmertwin: you really think you can pin down the cause of our country's education problems to 1 or 2 snow days a year? It's a bit more complicated...
jns131
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 9:28 a.m.
What is really sad is the fact that Detroit Public Schools are still open. Guess parents need babysitters? Otherwise, 541 schools are shut down. There is always a snow day a week before Xmas break. A little tease before the big 2 weeks. Can't wait to sleep in.
Soothslayer
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:58 a.m.
Ok folks this is really easy. Just turn to channel 2, 4 or 7 when you would normally get up and see if your school is listed as closed. Problem solved. Where's the mystery? Also if you get up and drive to school, work or whatever when the NWS reports terrible conditions and get in a wreck its your fault (unless someone hit you) and no one elses. How can a school system be at fault for you disregarding safety? Think for yourselves people.
Donna
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:47 a.m.
Ohhh, I am so sleepy from that AAPS call at 5am. I would have prefered to awake at my usual time and checked the website. It is pretty funny that all the families in Ann Arbor got a call at 5am
M.
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:47 a.m.
My call from Ypsilanti Public Schools was at 4:42am. I received it in the warmth and comfort of my bed. My only thought was that a bunch of underpaid and under-appreciated people were out in the cold getting information all night to get that information. On another note, WCC's webpage indicates classes are ON today. I am bothered by this since I have read before that they cancel classes if the local schools cancel due to weather. Now I am missing a presentation during finals week because I am staying home with my daughter.
aamom
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:36 a.m.
@Marcus. I am sorry you have to wake so early but if you are already up you should be able to easily check your email or turn on the tv to check scoop closings.
Killroy
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:15 a.m.
A simply email or text message from AAPS should really suffice!?
glimmertwin
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:13 a.m.
No wonder the education of our kids is third-rate compared to other countries. Live in Michigan and school gets called off for what essentially is a significant dusting.
Oregon39_Michigan7
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 8:08 a.m.
RE: "I'm so upset that the schools woke me up at 5 am..." Believe or not, some parents actually have to be up that early to get all their kids to school and make it to work on time. Imagine if the calls went out later, some didn't get the message, and then the family gets in a horrible accident because of the snow.
ViSHa
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 7:04 a.m.
does anyone know if there is a way to get off AAPS's school closing list for the early mornings but still receive any notices if something were to happen during the day, like a lock down?
CincoDeMayo
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:55 a.m.
Lucky you! At least my kids can enjoy their day -
Jonny Spirit
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:52 a.m.
Going sledding with the kids, thank you schools for the well deserved snow day. I get to spend some good time playing and loving my kids. Stay warm, and drive safe.
CincoDeMayo
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:44 a.m.
I'm not back to sleep yet either! Going into work early at this point....
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:39 a.m.
i certainly don't miss the early wake up call from the kids last year's district. this year, no phone call. works for me. i watch tv, just like i did when i was growing up...(or listening to the radio)
ViSHa
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:35 a.m.
agree urban sombrero. never could get back to sleep. i still think this could have been called last night. safe travels for anyone needing to be on the roads this morning.
Urban Sombrero
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:26 a.m.
erm..couldn't wait.
Urban Sombrero
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:25 a.m.
I appreciate the fact that AAPs calls us parents on snow days. But....5 AM? 5 AM? You guys could wait an extra hour?
a2citizen
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 6:10 a.m.
Boy, wait until winter actually starts....
Stephen Landes
Mon, Dec 13, 2010 : 5:56 a.m.
Ann Arbor isn't on the list as far as I can tell.........