OK, maybe it’s a little unfair to blame the kids … they’re not the ones who canceled school, after all. But whoever did is a huge wimp.
I get that it’s cold and snowy outside, but this is nothing abnormal for Montana. Growing up in Helena, I never had one snow day during my 12 years in the system. Not ONE. And trust me, there were plenty of days that would have qualified in just about any other state.
I once dug my 1987 Honda Civic out of nearly three feet of snow and drove it uphill (both ways, mind you) to get to school. Took me the six hours that school was in session, but I made it, because I’m a Montanan, damnit. And we don’t freak out or come to a standstill or cancel school because of a little snow or sub-zero temperatures, like a g.d. Texan or something.
Until the Missoula County Public Schools decided to lead the way in the wussification of our state, anyway.
In fact, Helena has just as much snow today as Missoula (if not more), but the wind chill there is almost -30 (the actual temperature is -9), and they didn’t wimp out and cancel school.
The actual temperature in Missoula is a balmy 3 degrees above zero, for crying out loud! It only feels like it’s -16! And there’s what, maybe, maybe six inches of snow on the ground? Since when does that cause everyone to freak out and cancel life as we know it? This isn’t Seattle; we know how to drive in a few inches of the fluffy stuff.
That being the case, I have just one thing to say to the small to medium-sized children of Missoula: Buck up.
Slip on your little snow boots, your mitties, your fuzzy hats with the puffs on top, and deal with it. Like a real Montanan.
This dog can handle it, Missoula, so why can’t you? (NOTE: I’ve been told this is actually a North Dakota dog. They’re pretty tough, too.)
Squirrel Thoughts 
Posted by Katie on November 23, 2010 at 2:29 pm
This dog is no Montana-an. He’s all North Dakota.
Posted by Zach on November 23, 2010 at 2:32 pm
We’re not wusses. We’re artistic.
Posted by Danny Davis on November 27, 2010 at 11:59 am
in Texas, we had one school call off classes last year because 1/4 inch of snow was in the forecast. i’m convinced that a kid who didn’t study for a test paid off weatherman.
during my sophomore year of high school, it got so cold that our main water line froze and broke. did they cancel school? no, they brought in porta potties and made us go water-less for the rest of the day. we spent the rest of the day constipated since noone wanted to go outside to use the bathroom.
Posted by Bob Whalen on December 29, 2010 at 10:11 pm
School wasn’t cancelled because of the snowfall total nor because of the temp. At five in the morning when the call was made it was a whiteout with visibilty of a few feet. Get your facts right. If they were to of waited a half hour to make the call it wouldn have been cancelled
Posted by Allison on December 30, 2010 at 10:55 am
Hmm, then maybe they should have waited half an hour to make the call. Ya know, checked the forecast or with the weather service to see if conditions were to remain that way. Seems making the decision at 5:30 or 6 would still allow plenty of time to alert parents and staff.
And I read the the Missoulian article about the time line of the decision, which was published the day after I wrote this. But that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it.