School’s Out…For Halloween?

The historic storm that dumped as much as two-and-a-half feet of snow in some parts of the Northeast has forced schools along the Eastern Seaboard to institute snow day protocols months ahead of schedule.

Typically reserved for late December and early January, snow days are being implemented despite much of the snow already melting. Collateral damage such as downed trees and power outages are the primary culprits for the abundance of students staying home this Halloween.

NBC Newsreported that in Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy said the storm has produced a record number of outages.

"This is an historic storm," Malloy told The Hartford Courant. "This is the largest number of power outages we have ever experienced."

More than 800,000 residents lost power in Connecticut and by early Monday, 750,000 people still had no power.

NBC found that areas nearest the ocean received less accumulation than their inland counterparts.

“Along the coast and in such cities as Boston, relatively warm water helped keep snowfall totals much lower,” NBC wrote on its Web site. “Washington received a trace of snow, tying a 1925 record for the date. New York City's Central Park set a record for both the date and for October with 1.3 inches.

But in New Hampshire's capital of Concord, more than 22 inches fell, weeks ahead of the usual first measurable snowfall. West Milford, NJ, about 45 miles northwest of New York City, had 19 inches by early Sunday.”

Many experts cite the abundance of leaves still on trees as the reason that so many trees collapsed. The wet snow clung to the leaves, and the branches were unable to support the tremendous weight.

While roads are now passable and power has started to return for some customers, it may be as long as a week or more before power is back to 100 percent, meaning some students may not be back in class until just before Thanksgiving.

Article by Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor
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