Schools
Fast-Moving Snowstorm Turns Delay Into No School In Vernon
Plows could not keep up with the snow cover Thursday morning in Vernon, thus school was called off, officials said.
VERNON, CT — The first significant snowstorm of the season turned out to be one of those mornings for school system officials in Vernon.
A fast-moving clipper system in north central Connecticut managed to stay ahead of plow crews and a delayed opening turned into a day off for students Thursday.
"It definitely caught us off guard and we needed to be safe," Vernon Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary said.
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At 4:48 a.m., a two-hour delay was imposed for all local schools, but it seemed as though the snow would cover a road within minutes of a plow making a sweep, officials said. Conditions "worsened" as the morning progressed, Macary said.
At 7:30 a.m., "the decision was made to close the schools, after consulting with our Department of Public Works and Emergency Management Team," Macary said.
Find out what's happening in Vernonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Macary said the safety issue outweighed the convenience factor.
"The weather conditions were causing the roadways to become dangerous for driving to safely come to school," he said.
Other school systems experienced a similar problem, he said.
Vernon had more than 150 homes without power Thursday morning.
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