# What's your \*favorite\* thing about a snow day? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284 "2011-01-11T23:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/21 "2011-01-12T05:17:33Z")
I live in a place where the kids would never go to school if snow days were common (they did get one the Friday before their Christmas break started because we got upwards of a foot of snow, and it was the last day anyway, annoyed the heck out of a much-younger coworker who never ever got a snow day up here). Also, I don’t know how much snow would justify my not getting my butt into work as quickly as I can (got in a half day a couple of years ago when we got two feet of snow overnight, I did have to wait for them to come plow us out). But I love love love being at home when it snows because I can go outside and get it in my hair if I want, and then go inside and drink hot chocolate or tea and play around online and watch it snow. Life doesn’t automatically stop here for snow unless it’s monumental, but I love a Sunday afternoon snowfall when I don’t have to go anywhere unless I decide I want to. We do tend to have dry snow up here, which makes it a lot easier to live with than the wetter stuff. It really is powdery! And it sparkles in the sunlight. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/22 "2011-01-12T05:36:59Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I have no favorite part of snow days because snow storms suck. I’m really not looking forward to the 12"+ they’ve predicted for tomorrow, since it’ll be **me** out there 2-3 hours clearing the goddamn snow out of the driveway at least once. And then…then shoveling off the roof. After being sore and tired, I’ll spend the rest of the day/night freezing, because it’s hard to shake a chill after that. Oh, and if we’re extra lucky, the power will go out, since it enjoys doing that during big storms ☹ I’m so sorry to hear that. I lived in a house for 2 winters, with a 3-car driveway and a few hundred feet of sidewalk (BIG house, fancy neighborhood). I liked winters a bit less then, luckily I had a good snowblower at my disposal. I do understand your pain to some degree, though I never had to clear the roof! (very sloped - snow didn’t stick) Please be careful out there! ☹ And I hope your power stays on. I truly prefer my cozy apartment, and hearing someone else clearing the walk makes me smile, even 10 years after that house. Going to make that buttered rum now…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/23 "2011-01-12T06:32:47Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > [QUOTE=hogarth] > > I honestly can’t remember having a “snow day” growing up in Saskatchewan (Canada). I think I remember having a couple of “really, really, really cold days”, in which case the best part was not going to school. > > I don’t recall having a “snow day” in Ontario either, actually. Wow, really? Was it because there was no snow (I always thought those areas had lots of it) or because snow was _so common_ that ‘life as usual’ didn’t stop for it? [/QUOTE] The latter. We get snow all the time - I’ve currently got over a foot in my yard, and that’s not unusual. If schools closed for snow, we’d miss a lot of school days. I can remember only one time when the school in my hometown in Saskatchewan closed - it wasn’t just snow, it was a raging blizzard, where it was difficult to drive to the school (but my Dad insisted we try, nonetheless. He was only able to drive the car close to the school, but not into the parking lot, because of the drifts. He only gave up when I waded through the drifts to the school door, found it was locked, and waded back, with a howling wind and cold, hard snow blowing in my face. He looked surprised and said, “That’s odd - it’s not such a bad day.” Thanks, Dad.) Nor do I recall ever having a snow day at work. The most that’s happened is once or twice being sent home early if a major blizzard was on its way. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/24 "2011-01-12T14:27:54Z")
I really like having a laptop for work because it allows me to work from home sometimes. The only problem is that it makes me work from home sometimes ☹ Snow days aren’t as fun now. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/25 "2011-01-12T15:17:25Z")
Fond memories of the time in my past when I used to get them? Corporate America doesn’t give snow days. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/26 "2011-01-12T16:02:50Z")
It’s not the snow; we have very little. I live in a rural area and the people in charge are worried about the buses and the kids on them. We have a snow day today and I’ve already been out shopping and to breakfast. Most of the roads are dry in town. Out in the country they are snow and ice covered, with high drifts, and would be treacherous for a bus. So, snow day. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/27 "2011-01-12T16:04:40Z")
We don’t get snow very often, but when we do I’m mesmerized by all the white. That’s what does it for me… just gazing at a sea of whiteness. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/28 "2011-01-12T16:09:19Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Wow, really? Was it because there was no snow (I always thought those areas had lots of it) or because snow was _so common_ that ‘life as usual’ didn’t stop for it? From what I gather, “snow days” are more common in places that have no/low budgets for snow removal. Also, Saskatchewan is fairly dry, so it doesn’t get a lot of snow compared to some places (although the snow that does fall doesn’t tend to melt as much as some places, either). An “extreme cold day” would involve -30 or -35 degree weather, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/29 "2011-01-12T16:28:43Z")
Atlanta was pretty much completely shut down Monday and Tuesday. The roads are HORRIBLE today and I doubt if anyone is going anywhere. This is about as ‘bad’ as it ever gets here with up to 8" of snow reported in the northern suburbs. Keep in mind we lack any infrastructure for this kind of weather. Few snowplows or sand/salt trucks and a lot of folks who have no idea how to drive on snow or ice. Fortunately, my pub here in Normaltown is in walking distance and it was open. It did a huge amount of business on Monday afternoon. Hot toddies were abundant and lots of folks stayed MUCH longer than usual (yours truly included). I suppose THAT was the best thing about this whole mess. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/30 "2011-01-12T17:03:22Z")
I hate snow with a fiery passion that somehow fails to melt the crap, but I do enjoy a snow day. It gives me a chance to do all the stuff around the house that normally would take up time on the weekend, or, alternatively, to do NOTHING and not feel guilty about it, because I’d normally be at work anyway. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/31 "2011-01-12T17:32:33Z")
Finally locking myself in my apartment in the evening after a long day of shoveling, cleaning off the car, driving to and from work amongst _adults_ who don’t know how to drive in the snow, and fighting over parking spaces. I guess that’s not really my favorite thing. It’s more like the least hated thing. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/32 "2011-01-13T18:51:56Z")
It’s very rare to have snow days around here, because as others have said, it would mean a _lot_ of missed work/school! Closings for freezing rain are a bit more common, but that actually happens rather rarely (with 3 or 4 events last winter and the Ice Storm of '98 being notable exceptions). I know most of the school boards set up two “floating” pedagogical days, so if the school is closed one day, a ped day from later in the year gets “used” in its place. In theory the teachers still have to work, but in practice, I doubt most ever try to go in. Once those two days are used up, then class days are simply cancelled, but it’s very rare. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/33 "2011-01-13T21:33:36Z")
Another factor is that schools don’t want to take a chance on kids coming to school and finding the doors closed on a bitterly closed day, so around here, there is a reluctance to close the school. It may be that there won’t be many kids there on a real blizzardy day, but the schools may stay open. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284/34 "2011-01-13T21:35:03Z")
Now that I think of it, a couple of years ago the schools in Saskatoon closed early, because it was so cold and the temperature still dropping that the school bus drivers were concerned that they might not be able to keep the buses running to take kids home at the regular end of the day. But that was coldness, not snow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-thing-about-a-snow-day/567284.md?page=1)