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Snow days a thing of the past?
With distance learning and zoom school, snow days may be a thing of the past.
SEATTLE - As Western Washington prepares for winter weather and potential lowland snow, children looking forward to the cherished snow day will likely be disappointed.
With remote learning in place for most because of the pandemic, several school districts in Western Washington say winter weather will not cancel online classes unless the weather is extreme.
"The advantage to transitioning to a remote learning day, as opposed to canceling school, is to alleviate the need for makeup days at the end of the academic calendar in June," the Olympia School District said in its snow bulletin.
Seattle Public Schools, Bainbridge Island School District, and Fife School District have also announced that remote learning will continue in inclement weather.
Students who are attending school in-person will be expected to attend remotely. Bainbridge Island calls it a "typical day of continuous learning."
But not every district is saying snow days are a thing of the past. The Snohomish School District and Peninsula School District have alerted parents that if there's enough snow that it would normally close down schools, students will get the day off.
"Hearing that of course made me giddy," said Alison Paoli, a parent of a daughter in the Peninsula School District. Paoli and her family cherish the few snow days they get in Gig Harbor every so often. "The idea of having a snow day and playing in the snow brings so much joy to kids and it just feels like the right thing to do."
It's a sentiment that Aringlington mother, Stacy Jacobs agrees with."Snow here is like a special holiday. It's the opportunity to make memories with your family. So yea, it would be disappointing if they said they had to go to school."
Jacobs said her district hasn't said one way or the other what with happen in the event of snowfall, but she says if enough flakes come down overnight.
"I'm not gonna sweat it, we're going to make snowmen! I'm not worried about my kids falling behind if they miss one day," she said.
Jacobs said missing a day of online learning doesn't compare to missing a day of pure childhood bliss, especially during a time when kids need it most.
Follow the latest weather-related closures here.
TRACK SNOW AND BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES WITH THE Q13 WEATHER APP.
WINTER WEATHER FORECAST
The Q13 Weather Team has issued Weather Alert Days on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for frigid temperatures and the potential for lowland snow.
There's a winter storm watch in Western Washington from Thursday - Saturday, but the forecast models are changing rapidly, making it harder to predict where the snow will fall.
Thursday looks like a snow event for the south end of our region - Lewis County, maybe into south Pierce County, Thurston County and along the Hood Canal. There is a chance of a dusting in Seattle, but it's not very likely.
Tacoma may also stay mainly dry Thursday. But things can change.
Friday will be our coldest day of the year so far with highs only around freezing for Seattle and wind chill factors making it feel much colder. There is a chance of snow showers on Friday, especially to the south -- like Lewis County.
A new system moving in Saturday looks to bring more widespread snow to Western Washington. Stay tuned.