Fairbanks, Alaska: Close the Schools! It’s RAINING!
When I was growing up, going to public schools in Wisconsin, it seemed like we rarely got a snow day. However a lot of private schools seemed to close at the drop of a hat. We used to joke that they’d close when it rained.
Let me tell you, winter rain is a catastrophe in Alaska. In winter, the ground is cold, so any rain falling freezes as soon as it hits the ground. We end up with a solid layer of ice on everything. Because we don’t get above freezing much in winter, that sheet of ice lasts until spring thaw in late March. In the past week, we’ve gotten over a foot of snow. Now it’s raining. The neighbors shoveled their driveway, which is now covered in ice. I can see their house reflected in it. It’s supposed to keep raining for the next 12 hours.
Fairbanks is a city in a valley, with many of our residents living in the hills surrounding town. Ice on the roads from the rain means that buses will be unable to safely get down the hills (if they can manage to get up them in the first place). last time this happened, school was canceled because all the buses were in ditches. Along with a couple fire trucks and ambulances.
Unlike in warmer climates, rain in winter doesn’t mean slush. When slush freezes, it has bumps and ridges due to the snow part causing texture. While still dangerous, it’s not nearly as bad as a flat, smooth piece of ice (a.k.a. black ice) which forms when rain hits a smooth, cold surface. Even the snow gets a layer of ice on it. This is why I didn’t shovel my driveway before a winter rain. The snow under the ice is protecting the driveway. I can clear the snow after the rain is done and not have the driveway covered in ice for the next 3 months.
Last time we had a winter rain, the city needed to send out road graters with jagged blades to carve some texture into the ice so people could drive on it. Salt doesn’t work because when the temperature drops again, it drops well below where salt will cause any melt. (Today’s high: 37 degrees, Next Sunday’s high: -24 degrees.) We use gravel a lot, but when there’s black ice, a sliding car will just push it along the road rather than getting any traction from it.
In addition to the dangers of falling while walking, or sliding off the street when driving, there’s also the weight of it to consider. The ice will coat the trees and rip off branches. Some of those branches could fall on power lines and cause power outages.
While it sounds silly to close schools and work due to a little rain, in Fairbanks it’s a realistic safety measure. So, yes, in Fairbanks, we close the schools when it’s too warm in winter.