Huddled in blankets with pajamas turned inside-out, students wait on the edge of their seats for the news. Perhaps only a few snow flakes have fallen, but Central High School students still long for just one thing: a snow day. The past week has been a flurry of panic for Chattanooga. Milk and bread sales have skyrocketed as under-prepared households have stocked up in anticipation for the storm. With a whopping inch of snow on the ground, most schools closed their doors entirely. However, this was not completely without reason. In Bradley County alone, there were 66 car accidents on Wednesday, January 20th. There may not have been enough snow for a respectable snowman, but there was more than enough to make road conditions extremely dangerous.

Patrick McGhee and Kathryn Smith are two Central seniors with plenty of experience with snow days. “I like them, but I don’t,” McGhee said with a shrug. “I like having the day off, but I don’t enjoy being locked up in the house all day.” For McGhee, snow days are well spent playing video games. “I just hate having no one to talk to,” he admitted.

“Snow days… Who doesn’t like an off day?” Smith laughed. Although Smith does enjoy the day off from school, she felt that she enjoyed snow days more when she was younger. “Now, it just feels like I’m getting behind with my schoolwork,” Smith explained.

On days when the weather forecast looks bleak, tensions rise when school is not cancelled. “I’m just concerned about my safety,” Smith expressed. When the snow does begin to fall, driving conditions can worsen in an instant. “I can’t think about school work!” McGhee exclaimed. “All I can think about is how I’m going to get home.”

In our temperate corner of Tennessee, snow is not often seen in large amounts. Many people are unprepared when it comes to dealing with winter conditions. Students often view snow days as a day off, but they are absolutely necessary to ensure safety.