Every winter, snow is a part of the season in Kansas, and although it can be a lot of fun to play in the snow, it can also be very dangerous. Snow and ice can cause roads to be unsafe for students and staff to come to school, or it could be that it is too cold for anyone to be outside.

On Monday, Jan. 8, USD 489 closed schools due to the weather forecast, which called for accumulating snow and blizzard conditions. Then, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, the schools were shut down again because of the conditions, meaning an extended Winter Break for everyone.

On Wednesday, Jan. 10, USD 489 resumed classes, but even then, there were still incidents, especially in the morning, such as people’s cars getting stuck and people’s cars not starting properly.

“The night before school started back up, we shoveled the snow all around my car, so we would not have to in the morning, but, even after shoveling all the snow, my car would still get stuck every time we would try to move it,” senior Morgan Geerdes said. “The wheels just kept spinning, even when we tried to go backwards and push it. So, we had to get a leftover wood piece and place it under my tires so the car would go forward.”

USD 489 has an inclement weather policy in place to determine if there is a snow day or not. The biggest factors are if the wind chill is dangerously low or if the driving conditions are too hazardous.

On Tuesday, Jan. 16, Hays High used a late start for the first time ever, with classes starting two hours later at 9:55 a.m. This was due to already missing two days due to the weather but still having very icy roads.

With weather like this, driving can be dangerous if people are not cautious and careful. With school opening back up, many kids drive to school and could be caught on slick parts of the road, which is why everyone must ensure they go slow and do not drive recklessly.

24jwente@usd489.com