The big storm of 1996 started Dec. 26 and turned to rain by New Year's. Then, picture the looks on kids' faces Thursday morning when they awoke to see precious little of that white stuff sticking to the ground. No Kitsap schools closed. North Kitsap was the sole district to even open late that day, by two hours. From North Kitsap to North Mason, most school districts follow a similar decision-making path when it comes to calling a snow day.
Some directors compare notes.
Then, they huddle with district administrators by 5 a.m. to get the word out by phone, radio, TV and the Web. Michael Shields, South Kitsap's transportation chief, echoed that sentiment. Shields knows that other climates are more tolerant of snow. But this ain't the land o' lakes, no matter what Mr. Outdoors tells you. Here in Kitsap, we don't have the snow-plow equipment nor the educated drivers to handle a snowy commute.