Every season, Fox 2 Now’s Chief Meteorologist Dave Murray predicts the weather for each month. This December, Murray has predicted “mild December weather with limited cold shot” and most likely a green Christmas. He also claims January will be a long, dry month with extreme colds. February is a little more hopeful for those snow days with “a few light snows, limited rain, but concerns about ice and sleet problems.”

If late December and February are what Dave Murray is predicting them to be, there could potentially be hazardous conditions for driving to school resulting in the cancellation of school.

So how are snow days determined?

According to Rockwood’s policy on school cancellations, “the Superintendent/designee is authorized to dismiss schools, at his/her discretion, because of hazardous road conditions or other conditions which would make the operation of schools impractical or hazardous to students and staff.”

This means that snow days are completely decided by the superintendent using his best judgement of what will be the safest and smartest option for that particular situation. The main concern when extreme weather occurs is dangerous roads and sidewalks.

In a letter published Dec. 1, 2014 following a snow day, Superintendent Eric Knost said, “Unfortunately, the roads had not been treated, which became one of the determining factors in closing school for today. Another significant factor had to do with our ability to treat our own parking lots and sidewalks.”

So, it’s evident that road conditions are the determining factor when cancelling school due to weather. Even if there’s sleet and freezing rain, if the roads are too slick and dangerous, school has the possibility of being cancelled.