Batten em down!

[Ed W]

Just from curiosity, I looked for something describing the average thickness of the ice during the last ice age:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/fit/chapter9.asp

"It may seem impossible to calculate the thickness of the ice sheets at the peak of the Ice Age, but there is a method that can be used to provide a ballpark average....Based on maximum and minimum values for the proportion of the moisture to fall on the ice sheet, I obtained for the Northern Hemisphere a minimum depth of 1,700 feet (500 m) and a maximum depth of 2,970 feet (900 m). Using variables for the mid range, I estimated an average depth of 2,300 feet (700 m). The average yearly precipitation over the ice sheets would have been 55 inches/year (1.4 m/yr). This rate is three times the current average precipitation over land north of 40°N."

(Emphasis added.)



So, in keeping with this geological perspective, Tulsa's recent 14" snowfall is nothing.

[guido911]

Come drive around my neighborhood and tell me that. Most TPS schools aren't on main roads and most of the kids walk to school.

I live in a subdivision about five miles from my kids' school. I know family's that live much farther away (1 family living south of Bixby) and in very remote areas. How close is the school near your neighborhood?

[nathanm]

Didn't you say that you and your neighbors paid for someone to plow your streets? If so, you're right. The roads aren't going to be very bad in your neighborhood. And if your kids go to the private school about 5 miles from where you are, they had their drive cleared on Wednesday or Thursday, and given the state of the rest of the arterials, I expect you'll have smooth sailing to take your kids to school. Good for you.

Some of the rest of us aren't in that position.

I don't know about you, but I got over 17" in our two rounds of snow, which has packed down to between 3 and 4 inches of ice on the streets in my neighborhood, plus whatever slush is on top. Not really something you want kids walking on or parents driving on if not absolutely necessary.

[custosnox]

Not to mention the number of people who have children in public schools that rely on the school bus for their kids school transportation.  I wouldn't want to trust the under trained bus drivers to drive my kids on the neighborhood streets.

[guido911]

Didn't you say that you and your neighbors paid for someone to plow your streets? If so, you're right. The roads aren't going to be very bad in your neighborhood. And if your kids go to the private school about 5 miles from where you are, they had their drive cleared on Wednesday or Thursday, and given the state of the rest of the arterials, I expect you'll have smooth sailing to take your kids to school. Good for you.

Some of the rest of us aren't in that position.

I don't know about you, but I got over 17" in our two rounds of snow, which has packed down to between 3 and 4 inches of ice on the streets in my neighborhood, plus whatever slush is on top. Not really something you want kids walking on or parents driving on if not absolutely necessary.

How far is your local elementary school from your neighborhood?

[nathanm]

How far is your local elementary school from your neighborhood?

Depends on where in my neighborhood. From me, about a mile. From the farthest reaches of the neighborhood association, about two. And the elementary school serving my neighborhood is one of the few on a main road.

Regardless, getting out of the neighborhood is still dicey without 4wd, despite the melting. There's still too much solid ice underneath the slush. If it were going to stay above freezing, I think it would get reasonable by Wednesday. That said, my particular neighborhood is irrelevant.

And why TF are you complaining about what TPS is doing when your kids don't even go to TPS? (for that matter, why am I defending TPS when I don't even have kids?)

[Conan71]

Yep midtown streets are trashed.  It would be a major CF trying to get kids and teachers to and from school, especially with the number of people who have no clue how to drive on slick roads

[guido911]

Depends on where in my neighborhood. From me, about a mile. From the farthest reaches of the neighborhood association, about two. And the elementary school serving my neighborhood is one of the few on a main road.

Regardless, getting out of the neighborhood is still dicey without 4wd, despite the melting. There's still too much solid ice underneath the slush. If it were going to stay above freezing, I think it would get reasonable by Wednesday. That said, my particular neighborhood is irrelevant.

And why TF are you complaining about what TPS is doing when your kids don't even go to TPS? (for that matter, why am I defending TPS when I don't even have kids?)

Who said anything about TPS but YOU. Freakin Jenks and Union is closed. I have a Jenks school 1.5 miles from me and its closed. As for caring in general, while my kids are in private school, I still pay to educate other families' kids in public schools though taxation. Or do I not get an opinion?

[custosnox]

Who said anything about TPS but YOU. Freakin Jenks and Union is closed. I have a Jenks school 1.5 miles from me and its closed. As for caring in general, while my kids are in private school, I still pay to educate other families' kids in public schools though taxation. Or do I not get an opinion?

You do realize that they still go the same number of days, right?  So why do you have to complain?

[guido911]

There is a potential upside to this crappy weather and school closings in this country:  spring break could be wiped out as make up days. Maybe less of a CF on my upcoming Mexico cruise.

[guido911]

You do realize that they still go the same number of days, right?  So why do you have to complain?

My whole point is that if my kids' school and its families can tough it out, why can't Jenks or Union? Heck, as I wrote in another thread, I have had no mail delivery and trash pick up since the snow came down. It's like this whole area doesn't know what to do when bad weather comes.

[Townsend]

My whole point is that if my kids' school and its families can tough it out, why can't Jenks or Union? Heck, as I wrote in another thread, I have had no mail delivery and trash pick up since the snow came down. It's like this whole area doesn't know what to do when bad weather comes.

One child's death results from a school bus crash and heads would roll.  "Why were schools in session?" would be all over the news. Then someone would be looking at lawsuits.  I figure that's a reason why.

Holland Hall being in session doesn't create the traffic issues that'd be created if TPS/Jenks/Union were all in session.

I think I heard on the news that some of the older buildings were being checked for structural integrity.

[guido911]

One child's death results from a school bus crash and heads would roll.  "Why were schools in session?" would be all over the news. Then someone would be looking at lawsuits.  I figure that's a reason why.

Holland Hall being in session doesn't create the traffic issues that'd be created if TPS/Jenks/Union were all in session.

I think I heard on the news that some of the older buildings were being checked for structural integrity.

You apparently haven't seen the CF on 81st street lately.

I guess being from up north has poisoned my sense of reality down here. Sheesh, some snow and apparently the whole town shuts down for a damned week. No school. No mail. No trash pick up. I just thank God we didn't lose power with this snow because I do not know what would have happened.



As a note, I think Bixby Public Schools are open today.

[joiei]

As a note, I think Bixby Public Schools are open today.

Nope, they're still closed

http://www.bixbyps.org/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1

[Townsend]

You apparently haven't seen the CF on 81st street lately.

I guess being from up north has poisoned my sense of reality down here. Sheesh, some snow and apparently the whole town shuts down for a damned week. No school. No mail. No trash pick up. I just thank God we didn't lose power with this snow because I do not know what would have happened.


As a note, I think Bixby Public Schools are open today.

Well if those reasons don't make sense to you I'm sure there are others.

I'm from the North as well.  We never had snow days.  My small town had a huge amount of snow equipment.

I guess more of the tax payer money went to school upkeep and not to women's prisons and massive street repairs into enormous suburbs.

I never remember anyone being afraid of the school roof caving in.