12 School Snow Days You’ll Never Forget If You Grew Up in a Cold State
Nothing was more magical as a kid than waking up to a blizzard, hearing that school was canceled, and racing outside to turn the neighborhood into your winter playground.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Few childhood memories match the excitement of waking to a new blanket of snow and the magical sound: “School is canceled.” From blizzard record-breakers to freak October snowstorms, these unforgettable snow days transformed plain old school weeks into grand adventures of sledding, building forts, and unplanned vacations. Whether the iconic Blizzard of ‘78 or the surprise “Snowpocalypse” of 2010, these were the days children and adults would not forget.
1. The Blizzard of ‘78 (Midwest & Northeast)
Image from WOODTV.com
The infamous blizzard of 1978 blanketed states such as Ohio, Indiana, and Massachusetts with as much as four feet of snow, closing down whole cities. Schools were closed in some locales for more than a week, and roads became impassable, stranding families at home. Children spent their time constructing giant forts, sledding off roofs, and relishing the unusual, longer winter recess.
2. The Halloween Ice Storm (Minnesota, 1991)
Image from Mankato Free Press
What began as a light dusting on October 31 became one of the worst ice storms in Minnesota’s history, covering everything in heavy icings and then dumping almost three feet of snow. The school was out for days as power lines broke and cars were covered under frozen drifts. Trick-or-treating was a nightmare, but children loved the surprise November vacation with hot cocoa and impromptu skating rinks in their driveways.
3. The Snowpocalypse (Washington D.C. & Mid-Atlantic, 2010)
Image from WTOP
This February blizzard brought almost three feet of snow to the D.C. metropolitan area, closing schools for over a week. Students welcomed the prolonged vacation with all-day sledding and snowball battles in neighborhoods that seldom experienced such heavy snow. The sheer amount of snow collapsed roofs and kept roads impassable for days.
4. The Great Ice Storm of 1998 (Northeast & Canada)
Image from NOAA VLab
A persistent ice storm in early January 1998 covered sections of New York, Vermont, and Maine with as much as three inches of ice and caused widespread power outages that lasted for weeks. Schools were shut down not only due to the ice but also because heating systems and transportation were closed entirely. Children spent their unplanned holidays in candlelit houses, playing board games, and hearing emergency radio broadcasts.
5. Chicago’s 1999 Record-Breaking Snowstorm
Image from Chicago Tribune
On Jan. 2-3, 1999, Chicago was blanketed with 21.6 inches of snow, one of the strongest storms in the city’s history. Schools closed for days as plows couldn’t keep up with clearing streets, and temperatures dropped below zero. Children enjoyed the time off by plunging into giant snowbanks and digging tunnels in their backyards.
6. Buffalo’s Surprise Snowvember (2014)
Image from WIVB
Buffalo, New York is used to snow, but even the most hardened locals were amazed when parts of the city erupted with nearly seven feet of snow in only three days. Schools were closed for more than a week, with buses completely buried and some of the school roofs on the verge of collapse. Children tunneled through the snow while parents anxiously eyed the weight accumulating on their houses.
7. The Polar Vortex Freeze (Midwest & Northeast, 2019)
Image from France 24
Temps dropped to -50°F wind chill in places such as Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit, which was too hazardous even to venture out. Schools in several states closed for days, not due to snow, but because it was too cold to get buses to start or children to walk to school safely. Kids spent their unplanned recess indoors, binge-watching TV and heeding frostbite warnings.
8. Boston’s 2015 Record Snowfall
Image from CBS News
Between January and February of 2015, Boston experienced storm after storm, amassing more than 110 inches of snow, a record for the city. There were so many school cancellations that school officials discussed keeping schools open into July. Children liked deep snow drifts, jumping from porches into clouds, and tunneling in their front yards.
9. The “Snowtober” Storm (Northeast, 2011)
Image from The Washington Post
A bizarre October blizzard brought over a foot of heavy, wet snow to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, toppling trees still laden with leaves and knocking out power to millions. Schools were shut down for almost a week, not only due to the snow but because of extensive power outages and hazardous road conditions. Trick-or-treating was devastating, but children improvised by throwing Halloween parties in the dark.
10. The Mount Hood Bus Stranding (Oregon, 2008)
Image from WyEast Blog
A school bus was stranded with more than 20 students aboard for almost 12 hours on a desolate road near Mount Hood after a blizzard swept in suddenly. Schools were closed throughout the area as rescuers labored to free the children and avoid other wrecks in whiteout conditions. Students who were not stranded on the bus made snow forts and heard updates on the dramatic rescue on their snow day.
11. The Fargo Snowstorm of 1966
Image from National Weather Service
The mythical blizzard buried North Dakota under drifts up to 30 feet high, closing schools for a whole week. Highways and railroads vanished in the snow, and residents needed to climb from second-story windows to reach outside. Children made the huge drifts into sleds, but parents feared the supplies would soon run out.
12. The Texas Freeze of 2021
Image from Houston Chronicle
Although Texas is not a cold state, the record February freeze led to school closures because of power outages, burst pipes, and hazardous road conditions. In Austin and Dallas, children who had never experienced this much snow took the unusual chance to go sledding and have snowball fights. At the same time, families were trying to cope with rolling blackouts and the unanticipated difficulty of staying warm without electricity.