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Growing up in a European country and never witnessing what it's like to go to an American school, watching American high school comedies, to me, has always been a pretty surreal experience. I'm sure that most of you fellow non-Americans reading this article could relate to me on this.

There are so many things about American schools that have always seemed utterly fascinating to me. For instance, you get letter grades instead of number ones, schools have swimming pools inside them, there's a club for almost anything, you have to get a hall pass to go to the bathroom during class, and lunch meals are usually pretty bizarre. The list goes on. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through this list of tweets from non-American Twitter users in which they share things that they find the strangest about American schools. Feel free to explain to us the things we don't understand or add your own in the comment section!

#1

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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GC
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t ever know what A levels etc. are. One of these days I need to look it up.

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#3

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the cheerleaders were just normal students, not stuck up and they didn't wear their uniforms in class.

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#4

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Jamziee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, because if you're in the hall without one, then you MUST be commiting murder (Sarcasm lads)

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#5

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden it starts in august and ends in june. Nothing odd about it, to me.

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have E as a failing grade, but people thought it meant Excellent, so they changed it to an F.

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#10

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Juniper
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, don't all schools have cafeterias? Where do you eat your lunch?

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#12

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Aunt Messy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadian here. They don't close schools in Canada unless it's been colder than -40C for three days in a row.

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Anarchy (they/them)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where I live the people are incompetent in ice and snow even though it usually snows every year so they don't want to risk people driving their kids. Also we get picked up in big yellow busses that are like three cars long and have horrible turning capabilities so that's not going to be the best thing to drive in snow

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since schools are required to bus kids to school, if the roads aren't plowed and they can't pick the kids up, school is cancelled. That's why more rural schools get snow days more often; plowing is more difficult than in urban areas.

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WhatEvenIsLife
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on where you are. Here in Texas, they close schools over even a little bit of snow, because no one here knows how to drive in it and they have a tendency to crash. A lot. I spent 2 1/2 years driving in Alaska, so I'm comfortable with it, but I would not be comfortable getting on the road with a bunch of other Texans in the snow. I'm guessing in Sweden, y'all are used to getting around in the snow. Not everyone else is.

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Luther von Wolfen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my rural county, buses picked up kids on dirt roads that would have been dangerous or impossible with snow. If buses can't run, no school.

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Blackheart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For many parts of the US there is not enough snow activity to justify the expense of snow clearing equipment like snow plows. For those areas, it makes more economical sense to close schools for the day.

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Sue Knerl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Buses can't run sometimes when there is snow. Roads are to unsafe.

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Kayla J
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

South Texan here. Because we don't get snow or ice and you'd be sending a lot of people to needless harm because they cannot drive in such weather conditions.

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It really only happens in places that aren't prepared for heavy snow. A good portion of kids get bussed in, but if the roads aren't safe they have to call it. Since a lot of the US doesn't see deep snow on a regular basis, they don't invest in the infrastructure to deal with it.

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Anthony Goldstein (female)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like in a place that never snows. The cancel school over a couple flakes, because they don't want us to get trapped in the school, and our buses and power and whatever can't handle more than a few inches.

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cassiushumanmother
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. when i was in a boarding school in the north of France we had mixed feelings about snow... If the snow was previsible, sometimes the school drove the boarders back home before the snowfall (school had its own buses) and when the snow was a surprise, we could be stuck for the weekend at the school, YAY! Option one: the student leaving near the school was jealous of boarders for skipping school, Option 2: a weekend in an empty strict boarding school where everything was forbidden

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Gwenda Christenson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this only happens in the places where they don't normally get snow - because the roads aren't safe to drive on. It would be like southern Spain or Portugal getting snow. It doesn't happen often and people don't know how to drive safely in it.

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Phoenix
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I went to Alaska school, it only got canceled if we have a major snow storm, and even then.....

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Troux
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Firstly, it depends on the municipality/county. Oklahoma rarely gets snow, so instead of building an army of plows and deicers and other controls (which Sweden would have), they just shut nonessential things down for a couple of days a year. Second, techniques for driving in snow are taught in Sweden, so the cars and drivers are more prepared for it. American driving licenses don't require everyone knows these sorts of details, so the roads are much more dangerous for yourself and others.

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Dana 2.0
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another downside of COVID is that my school has announced that since we can just learn from home, there will never be a snow day again. It's utterly monstrous.

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Santa Claus
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ikr here at the north pole we have snow everyday and the elves still go to school

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Johnny
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the area, a school in Minnesota (northern USA) is going to stay open in worse conditions than a school in Florida (southern USA).

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alex but festive
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

according to your username, i see you are a fellow person of culture, you read keeper of the lost cities?

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CincyReds
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know in my county their are a lot of winding roads, and back roads where the snow is not cleared of off, buses could crash, a young new 16 year old driver could crash... It is safety, we have snow maybe 3 months out of the year....Better safe than sorry.....I am guessing in Sweden you have a lot more snow than some parts of the US

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🇨🇦 Clementine 🇨🇦
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

According to the rumors (the're probably not true) we don't have snow days here is because one day school was canceled and a parent didn't know or something so they dropped their kid off at school and it was freeeeeeezing cold and he stayed outside all day because there was no one to let him inside and he had to go to the hospital because of frostbite.

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Dogs_are_cool
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in texas we close if there’s like one inch of snow because it only happens once every like 10 years

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Colin L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the school. In Seattle, it's hilly and we don't have enough snow-plows. So... things close. In Boise (Idaho), they used to do classes with 2 feet of snow and -20°F weather.

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HappyPig1723
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In California, one time a single drop of snow fell down, and all our schools got shut down. I lived in Boston before, so I'm usually like ...what?? when they shut it down.

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Evil Little Thing
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was doing my PhD in Atlanta we got an inch and a half of snow and the whole city shut down for three days. Look it up: Snowpocalypse 2014. Now I'm in New Orleans and people think they are dying long before it gets close to freezing.

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Bunzilla
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah I think it's actually about the roads, at least where I go to school. If the roads are too icy for school buses to drive on them, they can't make kids go to school, since a large amount of kids use the school buses.

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Robin Childers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The U.S. has millions of miles of roads and some states/counties don't take very good care of them. It can be treacherous to have busses loaded with kids driving on crap roads.

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Emily Karl
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Adding to what everyone said about "depends on where you live." In Kentucky my parents live off a road dubbed Roller Coster Road because of all the steep hills and sharp curves. A lot of rural KY is like this and dangerous without 4 wheel drive. It doesn't snow enough for everyone to own that sort of vehicle, so we take a few days off usually each winter to be safe.

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Tracey Tait
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It really depend on where you live. Live somewhere used to snow and no you don't get out, freak snow in Georgia and yeah, you're out.

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rgr8
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It really depends on wear you live and how the city can handle snow. My town is built on a hill, and only gets snow every couple of years, so our town isn't equipped for snow, so they cancel school.

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Jeremy Fitzgerald
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They don’t close schools because of the snow, but because of driving conditions. If it snows at the right time in the morning, the roads won’t be plowed. Or, sometimes it’s just too col for the buses to start.

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Bree-Anne Lanthrip
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the south we have to close for snow because we're not equipped to clean the roads off for people to safely travel. We also don't have snow tires or anything similar. Heck, I've also seen schools closed from to much rain and flooded dirt roads.

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Lauretta Payne
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because our schools districts can be quite large - my high school was 10 miles from my home. When the roads are bad, there is no way for students to get to school.

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Bára Menhardová
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My country doesn't really have that, either, and we don't really need it since the weather doesn't really get that extreme. Only time I remember school being cancelled because of the cold was when it was freezing outside and the heating in the school wasn't working (this has happened to me twice, once in 6th grade (ish) and once in high school.).

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Aubrey E.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cause in some places we're not use to the snow so imagine everyone on icy roads at 7am nah take the day off and live to see another one

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Judy Jones
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the rural areas, you can have blizzards which close the roads for days. It is for the safety of the kids and staff.

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Diane Maughan
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends where you live. In Texas we rarely get snow and we are not prepared for it.

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Kevin Smith
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This only happens in states that don't have equipment to remove the snow. States like the one I grew up in might get snow about once every 3 years or so that actually sticks to the ground and hasn't melted within hours of snowing. So when a bad storm hits not just the school close down but a lot of businesses also close because the roads are not safe to drive if you can drive on them at all.

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Marguerite White
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://www.ajc.com/weather/remembering-snow-jam-2014-the-numbers/xGVwkyBhoebgNaTAmfGfUO/

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Marguerite White
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They close school in the South. We don't get snow very often, can't drive in it and have no desire to be around it......that's one of the very great benefits to living in the South!

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Sara Harvilla
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in school (the 60s and 70s) in the Midwest of the US, school was seldom canceled. But now, the school district must plan for what the dumbest, laziest parent might do--send child out without proper clothing, etc. They also have to consider that the same stupid parent will sue the district if anything bad happens to their child.

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Angela Jester
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on if the snow makes driving conditions dangerous or if they expect it to get worse through the day. If you live where it usually doesn't snow, it doesn't take much to shut things down because there are no sand or salt trucks, and no one has snow tires or experience on an icy road.

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Patrick Stoddard
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Texan here. We close school for snow or ice because it might only happen once a year and the cost to the cities to have equipment to clear the roads isn’t worth it for such a rare occasion.

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Zira Michelle (LoveoftheDark)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plenty of American schools don't close down for snow, but in many areas, we only see an inch of snoe per year on average, so in the rare event that it dumps 8 inches, our infrastructure isn't equipped to handle it. No snow plows, no de-icers, so driving becomes a hazard because people never have enough snow to learn how to drive in it. Staying home for the day, is better than being dead on the way to school.

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Nightshade1972
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I spent the first 12 years of my life in Chicago, IL, where you had to have a lot of snow on the ground, and the threat of a lot more coming, before they'd even *think* about closing school. Then we moved to Houston, TX. When I was a junior in HS (about 16 yo), there was just enough frost on the ground that it crunched when you walked, but you could still see green grass underneath. The entire damn city shut down for two days, because Houston natives have no idea how to drive in conditions like that.

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Jessica Pentland
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My kids school has been canceled because we were "expecting" snow. We didn't even get a dusting. They have also canceled school because it was "too cold" outside. Welcome to North Carolina, USA.

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Linda Hart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because the major roads are cleared overnight but the sidestreets are not cleared in time for school.

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Linda Hart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://www.boredpanda.com/snow-2020-binghamton-new-york-state/

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Celtic Pirate Queen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In many parts of the US (primarily cities) NO ONE knows how to drive in the snow. It's safer to keep the kids home than risk accidents. Many businesses close as well. We had a massive snowstorm in Seattle back in 2008 and the city practially shutdown. We lived at the top of an incredibly steep hill and there was no way my little Kia was going to make it. Yeah - and most of us don't get "snow pay" you take the day without or use your vacation.

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Susan Mercurio
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in Minnesota and we laugh at some of the states to our south and their wimpy attitude towards snow.

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Kimberly Reetz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on where in America you are. Colorado - never. Not unless the school buses can drive even with chains. In North Carolina - OH MY GOSH IS THAT A SNOWFLAKE?!? SHUT IT ALL DOWN!!!

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Amanda Hunter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We lived in Denver Colorado and there were no snow days. I guess it's for places that don't have much snow and aren't good at driving in it.

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backatya
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sweden has to make do since it snows a lot. Don't be a little bitch because you have to go to school during snow and the U.S. doesn't

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Miranda Prince
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It also depends where in America. In places that are used to snow, they don't close school as much as in places that aren't. For example, I lived in Oregon, where we didn't get much snow, and the schools would close for amounts of snow that people here in Chicago would laugh at.

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lakitha tolbert
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes its an excuse to save money, especially for schools above the snowline. Schools are so underfunded that when given an opportunity to save money by say...not paying for electricity and heating that day, some school districts choose that route. Sometimes the roads are simply imapssible and Americans are so spread out, we need to use those impassible roads to get anyhwere. Also there is excessive care for our kids where we dont want them being out in difficult or inclement weather.

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Patti Renwick Parrish
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LOVE 'snow days'. Many towns don't have the equpment to deal with snow and since we don't get the amount they do in other countries, they don't buy the equipment. It all comes down to money.

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Anna Repp
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on a state. States where snow is common would not cancel any time there's snow, only on days when it is really bad and dangerous to drive.

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Arenite
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m in NY and snow days are rare and wonderful things. But I remember hearing about Georgia getting something like a half inch of snow, and everything closed, not just schools. No one down there had snow tires or any idea how to drive in snowy conditions. Not that half an inch is snow, but hey...! (As I write this, it’s snowing here, expected to dump a foot or so!)

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BUMMERS
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unless in a state along the Canadian border, we just don't get enough snow to invest in removal equipment. When a rare snow arrives, we just hop in our 4wheel drive SUVs & start crashing into each other.

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Klaus Hargreeves
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Texas here. gets snow days randomly even though it almost never snows. once it was the hottest day of winter and we got one. twice it DID snow and we were forced into school

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BG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on what part of the US you live and whether they're equipped to deal with snowfall on the roadway. It's really a liability issue because young children are bussed into the schools and older teens can drive themselves on icy roadways.

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Kimberly Herbert
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Areas that are used to snow don't close unless they lose power. Houston on the other hand shuts down faster after someone thinks they see a snowflake than we do for 100 year floods.

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Ivana
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We don't have public transport and a lot of people live in the country where the roads will be closed so the majority of students cannot legally go to school as they cannot legally use the roads. So safety and legal issues.

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MustardLemon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Im from north Idaho (very close to canada) and they NEVER close school unless its a literal blizzard.

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Pantea
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah that's about the only thing I missed from Iranian schools when we moved to Germany. 30-40 years ago we had every year few days off in Tehran's winter because of snow. On the other hand, there were so many breaks and holidays throughout the year in Germany that I was never too exhausted.

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anarkzie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol, the whole country shuts down in the England when there is snow.

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tomruns12
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on where you are. My area doesnt get snow often and people dont put winter tires on their cars. I was in a slow speed accident in front of my school because my car had no traction on the snow. I slid downhill until I hit a car stopped at the light. No damage to either car.

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Alex Walters
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we're just soft, I'm from the midwest and sometimes we don't even get much snow and school is cancelled

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Hobbes Maxwell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

depends on the state. As a Minnesotan (very northern state) we only got canceled if the snow was too much for the plows to handle, which was very very rare. ( i remember we got 6 feet one weekend, but we still got to class on monday!) while other states that get less snow don't have the equipment or familiarity to deal with it. a friend out in Portland (Oregon, far different climate) told me how they got 6 inches once, and the city shut down for 2 days! so it's a matter of perspective.

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Emily Smith
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in Portland, Oregon and we only see snow MAYBE twice a year at best. Because it is so 'rare', people forget how to drive in it causing lots of traffic accidents. If teachers/staff and students can't get to school safely due to snow or more likely - ice - then school is closed for the day.

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Amber odom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on the region of the us. In the south east 1" will shutdown a town. Where I lived in the US they never closed for snow, just cold, an only for the younger grades.

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Lynn Cai
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on where you live. Up in the north this may not be the case but I can be wrong. For here in the deep south I can tell you that our infrastructure is simply not meant to handle freezing conditions. In addition none of us have snow tires.

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beautiful plumage
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this is a matter of latitude. the farther north you live, the more people are used to snow and the more likely that your town (or state) will have lots of snowplows. thus, everyone expects you to go to work, school, etc. but the farther south you live, there's maybe only one rusty old unused snowplow in the largest city. if even a dozen flakes fall from they sky, that's 15 minutes you'll remember for the rest of your life! the good thing if you life sorta south of the middle is that everything gets closed and you only have to live with it for 3-10 days, have fun with it, and then it all melts away.

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Scott Lloyd
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

during my school years I never had 1 snow day. But rain would change the day. Guess living in phoenix Arizona explains this.

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Don't Look
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Schools in the US usually have to go by the bus company. There’s some seriously rigorous processes that go on in a school bus company. Child safety is EVERYTHING to them so, yeah weird system that was based on being sued really.

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Salty Old Woman
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on where in the US you live. If it's someplace where snow is unusual, then nobody has snow tires, and can't safely drive. In Michigan and Wisconsin, I think it has to snow pretty bad before the schools close. In Georgia, not so much.

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Seth Linn
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We close schools when abnormal weather happens due to hazardous driving conditions. It snows once every two-five years in Louisiana and schools usually get closed because no one is equipped to drive in snow and ice.

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not all of America. Just the places where it doesn’t snow a lot because they aren’t really prepared and most of the residents in those areas can’t properly drive in snow do a lot of accidents occur

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Cassie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid in the 80s, I was in school in Indiana and they did not close for snow. If you couldn't get to school, you just didn't go. I lived in a rural area and the farmers would be up early in the morning to plow the side roads. It was a community effort. I never missed school, even after a blizzard. Nowadays, it's not like that.

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Benjamin Lensgraf
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its because we have buses that take kids to school, and if a bus could crash, the children's lives aren't worth going to school that day

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Spring Fisk
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because driving in the snow is dangerous and if a school bus gets in a crash or a student dies there will be a lot of people suing. America is unfortunately a very litigious society.

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Lsai Aeon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Southern American schools close when there's even a little bit of snow/ice because it's dangerous to get to the schools. Here in Texas, a large majority of the cities don't have the snow plows or salt trucks to clear the roads. We rarely get snow so there isn't a good reason to purchase this large expensive equipment. AND kids can live 30 miles or more from the school they attend, rural areas are VAST. BUT now that we have had to pull our asses together for the covid shut down, everyone will just be shunted to virtual school

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Cal Capone
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That just depends if the geographical area is fully equipped to cope with it. For example. Chicago? Probably not a snow day. Oregon? Probably getting a snow day.

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Sean Ryan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

North Dakota here, usually don't close unless visibility while driving is real low like cannot see more then 10-15 ft due to snow and wind ahead or severe cold -35F to -60 {this ussually includes wind chill (-37C to -51C)}

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Dippin Dot
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wisconsin here - they will close if 1 - it's dangerously cold and there is a potential for frostbite within seconds due to the number of students who walk. 2 - if there's too much ice for busses to transport safely. The more rural the area, the better chance for a 2 hour delay or closure. 2018 was filled with closures because of the record lows (with wind chills) and record snows, but otherwise I could count on 1 hand how often we have closed since my son has been in school (he's in 7th grade)

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Freezer Burn
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Snow days were the best! Ah, the memories of going back to bed and then waking up to go play in the snow.

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Whitney Anderson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It doesnt matter rlly how much snow there is. From idaho USA and we still go to school when there is 5 feet of snow if the road are good enough to tavel

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Katherine Heasley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on where you are. I lived in Anchorage, AK while I was growing up. Snow days were rare and only happened when driving conditions were truly dangerous (remember, we have school buses; if they can't transport students to school safely, they don't move). However, I'm now in Oregon, and if there's so much as a hint of snow, everybody panics and school gets cancelled.

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JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This depends on the infrastructure and weather in each state

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Kevin Fisher
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It change through out the years, schools had stayed opened in the past, sometimes they let us out early. Also for the longest time, School districts will announced school closings at the very last minute.

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Jake
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

as a child in Canada we almost never had "snow days" but now they are constant. its not the school or the children, but a liability on the bus system that closes schools.

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Kayci Landeen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not always canceled. Sometimes they decide to just start the school day two hours later to give road crews a little longer to make the roads safe.

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David Dwyer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some places like in Texas, it gets into the 100's (Fahrenheit) and people aren't really prepared for cold weather, so that's why,

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Brandon Collinsworth
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok I live in the southern US and yes if it snows we cancel school. Why? because it never fricking snows here, so on the very rare occasion for when it does we are not really prepared for it. The roads are unsafe because they are iced over and because people are not used to driving in those conditions here.

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Tabitha L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It depends on what part of the country. Louisiana, yes, 2 snowflakes, school is canceled. Upstate New York, it has to be several feet of snow. Here is a map to show how much snow it takes to cancel school. https://m.imgur.com/AvTH4d2

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Amy Pattie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Australia, we close school if “very high” risk of bush fire.

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Cadmar Orion
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in Utah the schools have only closed down once due to school. in my and my parent's lives

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Morgan Olson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Iowa and North Dakota at least, they don't cancel school often, in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, they literally cancel if there is an inch of snow. Those are just where i have lived, i dunno about other states

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Ally McGurk
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my Scottish primary school (age 5-11) if it started snowing heavily they'd just send us home. And that meant walking a couple of miles in heavy snow, without our mums who wouldn't know we were on the way home until we got there. Thinking back, I'm really surprised that a few little kids didn't disappear en route.

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Bee Jairrels
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its a good thing sometimes. Once our power went out for 3 days because of snow. Not to mention icy roads.

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Jan Moore
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was 9 or 10 we moved back to the states from Bavaria (Army brat) to S. Illinois. Got at the most 1" of snow, the grass wasn't even covered. My brother drove me to school and I sat in the empty waiting area until his girlfriend came and got me telling me school was canceled due to snow. Couldn't believe it! When we moved to Germany, in January, we live in an Apt. building and didn't know it had steps in front till the spring thaw.

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because American Schools dont. I know it is hard to understand, but the USA is the third largest country in Land Mass with areas from the frozen northern Alaska to the tropics in Hawaii and Southern Florida. So depending where they cancel school for different things. Where I live under 6 inches there is school, 6-8 depends on how well they clear it. But in places like Wisconisin they have school in 2 feet of snow, and Dallas cancels it for flurries. Each area does it based on what they are used to and consider safe based on that information

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends where in the US about snow cancellation and what is normal for each region

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Kristin Malliet
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Houston, we had a delayed opening for half an inch of snow. I’m from the north, so it was hilarious.

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Whawhawhatsis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband grew up in northern Minnesota and they never closed schools for snow, either. But they had to close them for a week most years in the spring because of mud -- when the ground would thaw, it would turn into mud soup. The most ridiculous snow closure I ever saw was when my son was in high school; the system announced in the evening that schools would be closed the following day because a storm was predicted -- but not a single flake of snow fell! It was pretty funny, actually.

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Kim
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha yes. Snow storm = dress like an astronaut, head down and puuuush through the snow against the wind until you find the school building. 😂👍 Often the bus is late in this weather, but you’re still expected to be at school on time and it’s up to you to find out how. Lol.

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Jenna Noel
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happens in southwestern Canada whenever there is a huge snowfall. Mainly due to visibility and slippery road conditions for the school buses. If the roads are deemed unsafe, the buses won’t run. But the school stays open sometimes...

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Stannous Flouride
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It snowed in San Francisco in Feb 1976 just enough to cover the ground with about 1cm (½ inch) and they closed the schools. (It snows here every few years but usually the ground is too warm for it to stick or stay)

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sylvantic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i mean, here we would close school if there was even a tiny bit of snow... i live in LA, it doesn't snow here.

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YoyoSthlm
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From Sweden here. I agree. Like, if you live in a state where it snows every year: how tf can you be surprised??

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Marcia Cash
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahaha. In Texas, 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of snow will close everything. But it only snows once or twice in a decade, so we don't have any road clearing equipment. Once in 1963 it snowed NINE INCHES, school was closed for a week! ..

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Angela Jester
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid in New York (upstate,in the mountains) schools would close if it was the kind of snow that made the roads extra slippery. Again, living in the country and not city makes a difference with how quickly that gets attended to. As an adult in Georgia (southwest close to the FL border) no one knows how to drive in it and there aren't plows, salt or sand trucks to readily take care of the roads. It's not just the schools that close, it's the whole area until conditions change. We're much more used to and prepared for +100F with 80% humidity. My daughter starts wearing long sleeves when it hits 70F LOL

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Alexis draskinis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is weather & area depending. Obviously CA doesnt have snow days bit probably has ones during wildfires &/or heavy storms. My city was mostly bus kids & a really hilly area. We had more school cancellations, due to snow, than neighboring cities/towns BUT we also had way more buses get stuck on the hills trying to get students to/from school. If they dont think they can get them back and forth safely, they dont attempt it. If there was ever an accident, the school board & the city would be liable for any injuries that happen because it was their choice to not delay or cancel the day. At least with the new remote learning situation, they're going to start treating them as virtual days vs snow days here. That way the kids dont have to make up the days

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lara
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Texas we close schools when it snows, if there has been rain prior to the snow. Because, if we have snow immediately with rain, it means the temps have fallen precipitously and water on the street overpasses freezes making for "black ice." Then when it snows, that ice is covered over. There may not be ice on the roads, BUT THERE IS ICE ON THE OVERPASSES. And many people from out of state have not a clue as to how to drive on black ice. Consequently, they see that there is no "ice" on the roads, they start driving like bats out of hell, hit the black ice and we have a major wreck. Until and unless you have ever dealt with black ice, you better be happy that schools are more concerned with children's lives than what people in other countries think.

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Perfumista Perfumista
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on how well the area is equiped to deal with it. In NY it's up to the school district. What would close a school on Long Island would generally not be severe enough close one in Buffalo.

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Demetri
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sweden is a small country that's located entirely in a frigid climate. Presumably, you are ALL used to it. The US is a huge country stretching across many climates...some Americans have never really experienced all 4 seasons. These conditions have to be accounted for.

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Meami
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in the US and they do not cancel school here unless there is a blizzard.

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RoseTheMad
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm in the North of the UK and my school sent us home once because of "extremely heavy rain" though to be fair, it did cause floods. But at the time no one realised it would, it was just torrential downpour.

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Isapizza
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Houston snow is rare even in winter so when it snows even a little bit they let us stay home, partly so that we can enjoy the snow and partly because people aren't used to snow and icy roads can be dangerous.

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LegendYak
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well like in arizona they cancel school if there's only a tiny bit on the grass but in utah they cancel it when theres 2 ft

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Potato o Doom
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on where the school is, here in Atlanta if there's snowflakes school's out

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FuzzyCow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oklahoma here. Most towns don't have enough snowplows to clear the snow and kids might have to travel 20 miles to school so it's just not safe

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John Wilson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why Invest in snowplows for the town snow, which ruin your fuel efficiency and in crease greenhouse gasses, when you can take a few days off every once in a while to enjoy a snow day?

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John Wilson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you live in a place that gets a lot of snow, it’s worth the money to get snow tires and for a town to invest in snowplows. If it rarely snows, that kind of investment doesn’t make sense. Snow tires cause your gas mileage to go down and the green house gasses to go up. Studded tires rip up the roads. It just makes more sense to shut things down for a few days every so often.

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Ana Vaquer Perez
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

IKR in NYC we had a blizzard we only got delayed, now i live in VA and even if theres a cm of snow predicted and we get closed

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PjandBolt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live near a big hill where all of the rich kids live, so whenever there's the slightest bit of ice they cancel school because it can get dangerous for the buses. Everyone thinks it's ridiculous but on the outside we ain't complaining!

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Imtiredandiwannagotobed
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, even in my cold state, we get a half inch of snow, you can’t inhale without death, dunno why America does this, but I’m not complaining

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Emma Klein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How many snow days you have also depends on the size of your school's county (size not population). If students are being bussed in from an hour a way a foot of snow and ice on the roads can make for a logistics nightmare. It just depends how slippery the roads are and if the school feels the students can get in safely without a car or bus accident.

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Dynein
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm pretty sure there's school in the USA that don't close when it snows (up to a point), and plenty of schools in other countries around the world that do... all depending of how common snow is in that area. I think "how common is snow" is the most important factor here. Here in Germany a meter of snow would close plenty of schools, in many areas at least... we do get snow but usually not that much, so most places don't have the infrastructure to deal with that amount.

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Leo Domitrix
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Point One: LOLOLOLOLOL. Cancel school for weather? Twice in my life, and one was a blizzard still ranked 3d worst to hit the region ever in recorded history. Point Two: I now live in the US South, and they have ZERO ROAD MAINTENANCE FOR SNOW. Going out is death.

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Eva Bryson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, teachers want you in class to learn, not loitering in the bathroom.

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The Zooble
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be very honest, I'm English and I usually do page count rather than word count

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Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So we aren't "distracted". Even rooms with windows usually had the blinds closed.

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Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. We have nearby schools we compete against in sports, but any rivalry is very light-hearted.

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Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy was usually a very tiny part, if it was there at all. But it was the most exciting part!

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