True statements all. In the 60's I attended Jefferson County public schools (Western side of Metro Denver). In the 13 years (incl kindergarten) we did not have a single "snow day". In those days we used to joke that even when Jesus returns, JEFFCO schools will be open to study the Second coming. There were times that the buses were cancelled, as I grew up out in the country.
Some of those no bus days my father would drive me to school because he drove right by my schools on his way to work.
There was a different mentality toward snow on the roads in the 60's. Our snow tires had studs and we occasionally had to dig cars out of big drifts. Neighbors worked together in the country. Houses were separated, but we knew everyone.
We had fewer drivers on the road and we didn't have as many people from other areas moving into our area. Today with PCS moves, some might be here from Hawaii or southern California and this is the first snow they have encountered.
Today we are packed into our subdivisions like sardines. People are in a hurry, always trying to get somewhere quickly.
At this time in my life, as I am months away from retirement (again, retired from Navy after 24 years in 2001) while I chuckle at the school closings, I am not upset when the bases close and I get a day off.
I have learned to just take stuff as it comes, and don't complain about a free day off.

Not all CO schools are closed today. I live in Jefferson County (JeffCo) and my kids go to school in Conifer, about 7,800' or so. My house is about 7,400'. They had a 2 hour delayed opening, but they are in school today. I am on-call this week for work (IT work), and I got called at 3:30 to fix an issue. It was minus 10. BRRRR. Good thing I work from home.

Used to live at 7400ft on South Turkey creek rd. Man those 2am call outs for a lousy tape drive was an experience sometimes in the winter.

quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie1:
Used to live at 7400ft on South Turkey creek rd. Man those 2am call outs for a lousy tape drive was an experience sometimes in the winter.

We were practically neighbors. I can almost throw a rock to S. Turkey Creek. Their bus goes on S. Turkey Creek.

Lotta "up hill, both ways" guys on the board today I see.

Back when I was in college (50 years ago) we had some cold stretches. Back then I commuted to school in a VW. I couldn't even get the engine to turn over. The oil had become glue. But I had a solution. I got the top of an old BBQ grill and fired it up. Nice coals, my mother didn't approve at all. But I took it out and slid it under the engine. Then went inside and ate. After maybe a half hour, I went outside and it turned over and fired right up. I didn't have a plan to get back home. I drove to school in less than normal traffic. By late afternoon it had warmed up and the VeeWee fired right up. I never heard my fathers comments. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I went through 5 full years of undergrad school without missing a single class. Yes, I semi worked my way through school. Classes mean more when its not a free ride.

I grew up in Denver in the 1960s. Hardly anybody had a 4wd Jeep or an AWD vehicle. The prepared folks had a VW with studded snow tires and a heavy coat to wear driving it.

I sure don’t remember ever getting off for “snow days”. I never heard of a snow day until we moved to Texas in the early 1970s. I remember freezing my ass off as a street crossing guard on the “Safety Patrol” as an elementary school kid, in the winter. (It was a way to get out of class early.) And I also remember Trick-or-Treating with snow on the ground.

I suppose the average driver has gotten worse since the 1960s. It seems that the average anything else has, too.

quote:

Originally posted by bigeinkcmo:

Well, I was in Palmyra from 1972-1990 and I rarely recall our Palmyra-Eagle school district closing. I guess it just depends on the district and what snow they got. I lived by farmers...there were very few days off.

I commuted from Hartland to Whitewater in that time period for two years driving through Palmyra on 59. Admittedly, I didn't pay attention to Palmyra/Eagle closings, but I can assure you 2 to 3 times each winter, UW-Whitewater cancelled classes for snow. I had a 7 in the morning class and would leave before classes were cancelled because that was what I had to do to be on time if they weren't cancelled. I would be listening to the radio, get about half way there, hear the announcement that classes were cancelled, turn around and go home.

Palmyra was a well known speed trap. Heading west on 59 before the city there was a hill, sweeping right hand turn, and a billboard the Palmyra police would hide behind. There was a gas station on the right where 59 made a right turn in town. At some point a Burger King was added to the gas station.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I grew up in Denver in the 1960s. Hardly anybody had a 4wd Jeep or an AWD vehicle. The prepared folks had a VW with studded snow tires and a heavy coat to wear driving it.

I sure don’t remember ever getting off for “snow days”. I never heard of a snow day until we moved to Texas in the early 1970s. I remember freezing my ass off as a street crossing guard on the “Safety Patrol” as an elementary school kid, in the winter. (It was a way to get out of class early.) And I also remember Trick-or-Treating with snow on the ground.

I suppose the average driver has gotten worse since the 1960s. It seems that the average anything else has, too.

In the early 70s we used to go skiing in my friend’s ´62 Chevy bubble-top. We used to point to the 4wds off the road on I-70 as we headed up to Keystone, Copper, or Vail. “They can go better, but they can’t stop any better,” we used to say. Hard to imagine now. Driving up into the Colorado mountains in a rear wheel drive, front engined, American, two-door hardtop in the winter—through the Eisenhower tunnel, or in the case of Keystone, over Loveland Pass.

While we had plenty of snow days growing up, I can only remember school being cancelled once in PA due to cold. It was either 1979 or 1980 & the temp one morning was -30 deg F. I’m sure there are people in the Dakotas, Montana and elsewhere that scoff at that temp but that’s pretty damn cold for the mid-Atlantic. I remembered wondering whether they were going to have trouble starting the buses after hearing my father that same morning complaining about his Ford Torino’s issues. Never found out as the most glorious of calls came... school’s out!

quote:

Originally posted by bigeinkcmo:
...was when it was -42° below”

Wouldn’t that make it almost 45 degrees out? Sort of a double negative!

Seriously though, that’s insanely cold.

It was 94 degrees here yesterday. Record high temperature, that smashed the old record by two degrees!!