It’s no secret that winter weather driving speeds need to be reduced on slick, snowy roads.
But when it gets too dangerous to drive, schools often cancel class for the day.
With several inches of snow on the ground, icy roads and temperatures that only a snowman can with stand, winter weather school closings are inevitable.
Last year, weather-related school closings were minimal since Michigan didn’t get much snow and had unusually mild temperatures.
This year it’s a different story, kids have already gotten a taste of snow days and there’s no turning back with a storm expected tomorrow.
We reached out to several superintendents today, but didn’t get a response.
But here are the general criteria for snow days, it does vary from county to county.
Extremely low wind chills, students waiting at bus stops could suffer frost bite, so school is often cancelled at wind chills below -25.
Excessive snow and ice, this is pretty obvious, commutes can become dangerous on slick snowy roads.
Neighboring schools closings, many parents have kids in multiple schools so this is also considered when making the decision to close for the day.
If the commute is considered unsafe due to weather, it’s best to check your school’s website, or 9 and 10 news to stay updated on potential school closings.
But if school is open during snowy weather, there are a few things to consider beyond just reducing your speed.
Local road commissions work 24 hours monitoring weather to stay on top of icy road conditions.
But here’s something you may not know; a bill was signed into law by governor Whitmer in July that requires drivers to keep their distance from snowplows or face a fine.
“There’s a new law, and that’s they need to stay at least 200ft back when they’re following behind the plow to allow the plow to clear the road. They’re out there for a reason. They’re out there because there’s snow, ice, whatever needs to be dealt with. And they need room to do their job,” said Wexford County Road Commission engineer Karl Hanson.
The law also says that any drivers entering an intersection or an area where a snowplow is stopped must stay at least 20 feet back.
While car - snowplow accidents are rare, there’s more of a danger for cars because snowplows weigh anywhere from 60 to 80 thousand pounds.
