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steve evans
New Member
1 Posts |
 Posted - 01/14/2004 : 1:21:56 PM
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I’m looking for feedback on the subject to school closure due to wind chill temperature. Does anybody out there have a written policy or a formula to take cold temperature into account too close school?
We have guidelines for inclement weather but does not cover simply cold temperatures.
I’m a transportation manager for a school district and we are having very cold weather at the moment. Today the wind chill was minus –45. What would your districts do under these circumstances and any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks Steve
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bpnh23
Senior Member
66 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2004 : 3:08:24 PM
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| My district is fighting with the same question. This morning it was -13 out with a wind chill of -35. Even the bus that were plugged in had a hard time starting. The one person who forgot to plugg in her bus had to take a spare. Tomorrow morning and Friday morning it is going to be -20 outside. I don't even want to know what the wind chill will be then. |
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SOS
Advanced Member
USA
253 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2004 : 3:49:44 PM
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I don't mean to be a smart aleck  but, believe it or not we closed last year in Febuary for two days due to cold temps. With the wind chill in the single digits and highs forcast to reach high teens to twenty in the day time. This may sound absurd to many of you but here in Georgia that is COLD. (I grew up in northeastern Utah and went to school and later in life to work in temperatures of -25 on more than one occasion). All buses that were cranked started however, the concern was for the students standing out in the cold waiting for the buses. I applaud our TD and super for making this decision for the safety of the students  . |
You gotta Love em' to Carry em' |
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CountGirl
Top Member
USA
823 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2004 : 8:31:21 PM
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| Around here, I have no idea what the policy is. But I do know that a little black book called "Pocket Ref" gives you lots of info about everything--including wind chills...maybe if a TD figured it up, there would be a policy like that in place. |
Give me a yellow object. Yes. Right now. I need my yellow chocolate, for goodness sake! |
Edited by - CountGirl on 01/14/2004 8:31:47 PM |
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Rich
Top Member
United States
5768 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2004 : 10:13:27 AM
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Well, today is a snow day. Low of -1, wind chills of -30.
Salt, obviously, does not work under 20 degrees. Tomorrow might qualify as an "ice day" since roads are full of dangerous ice conditions. |
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busmonkey
Senior Member
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2004 : 3:29:41 PM
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| We do not have any policy on when to close schools due to weather, but for instance the weakend before chistmas break was over we got a foot of snow and the day school started it was -27 F out with windchills over -42 F. Since we had that much snow the friday before school started we put chains on all our in city buses and some rural buses. We have ran in colder weather before and use chains only if needed on our buses. By the way days like this suck because you get frozen park brakes that won't work, shifters freeze up and drivers complain that the bus is to cold! Go figure. |
busmonkey |
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Jim
Top Member
USA
581 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2004 : 09:02:26 AM
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| Today, for the first time that any of our drivers can recall, we had a 2 hour delay due to the wind chill. It was 9 degrees here at 8:30am before I left the lot, with a wind chill of about 15-20 below. I think only one of our buses needed "help" getting started, and a few of our older GMC's which are a ***** to start anyway in cold weather. But other than that, everything went fine. |
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Thomas Ford 85-16
Top Member
USA
4177 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2004 : 5:28:32 PM
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We had TONS of problems with buses running very late because they couldn't go over 5 MPH (or move for that matter) because the fuel gelled up. The high school was closed on Wednesday, all schools closed on Thursday, and today only the high school went (the other schools had today scheduled as a day off) today. I'm thinking that because they sat for the day yesterday, that they had more of a chance to gel up than they normally would. I really don't think they should've called us into school today. |
Mike's Bus Yard - http://buses.zwebpages.com - Since 1999
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WI Handy Bus
Senior Member
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2004 : 7:56:54 PM
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| Here in Wi the wind chill better be about -45 or better in order to close school. I have done my route in outside air temperature as low as -23, but this was a calm day with no wind chill factor. We seem to have a lot of problems with water in the fuel filters freezing up and restricting fuel flow. Everyone carries at least 2 bottles of alcohol based fuel line antifreeze, which you dump in at the first sign of trouble. Takes about 5 minutes and your on your way again. |
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bbird66
Top Member
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2004 : 09:17:22 AM
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| What part of this great state are you from Handy Bus? we had -30 wind this am with -7 temp. Everything went fine, but I always have two spares running ready to go in a moments notice if someone goes down when it this blasted cold. I get very nervous! I run a 50/50 blend with additive also but I shot everything yesterday with alcohol just to be sure. |
Were gonna miss you "Brent"..Good luck in "Heidi land"
"I know you miss the Wainwrights Bobby, but they were weak and stupid people...and that's why we have wolves and other large predators" .. The Far Side
"On a two hour delay when will my child be picked up??"
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WI Handy Bus
Senior Member
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2004 : 3:02:22 PM
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Located in Central WI.....we cancelled today, had -18 with wind chill of 35 to 40 below. My garage says they use 50/50 blend like you do but the ice problem is due to drivers not keeping their fuel tanks full, so the tank condenses water inside from daytime heating and nighttime cooling.
I only froze up once last year in the 84 pass BB I drove then. Had an unexpected cold snap in late winter and my fuel tank was at about a third full. It happened right as I pulled out of my driveway so I pulled over and shot 2 bottles down it( has 90 gallon tank) and was cleared up in about 3 miles. |
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WI Handy Bus
Senior Member
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2004 : 3:10:35 PM
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| BTW in my personal diesel truck I run this yellow stuff you buy at the truck stop, cant remember the name of it but it is a fuel antigel and conditioner and it works wonders. Says it will liquefy gelled fuel, however it is quite expensive, around 22.00 a bottle but that treats about 250 gallons and in my pickup it goes a long way. I also get nervous in these temps especially when far from home. I always make sure I have plenty of alcohol for deicing and make sure one of the students have their cell phone! I also dont shut down the bus when it is this cold, let it run on high idle, per garage directive. I think they do this so they dont have to come retrieve a no start bus 100 miles away. |
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bbird66
Top Member
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2004 : 05:33:46 AM
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| Thats one of my rules.. no less than a half a tank all time, for the most part they follow that rule, and the other thing is that they fuel in the Pm. |
Were gonna miss you "Brent"..Good luck in "Heidi land"
"I know you miss the Wainwrights Bobby, but they were weak and stupid people...and that's why we have wolves and other large predators" .. The Far Side
"On a two hour delay when will my child be picked up??"
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webegone
Active Member
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2004 : 08:26:33 AM
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| Woke up this morning to -34 degrees with a -65 windchill and we are running. It's cold and I'd hate to have a breakdown, but if we stop because of the cold, we'd be off from January through February!!! LOL |
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Wolfie
New Member
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 01/28/2004 : 6:27:48 PM
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WEBEGON
Doesn't just make you laugh when you see other schools close because of the cold? Here in Minnesota I can only remember one time they canceled school because of the cold. And that was gov ordered. And he caught a lot of flack because of it. -61F in Embarass, MN for a low about three years ago. And this DID NOT include winchills.
Predicted lows for tomorrow morning to be -20 to -30F with -50 and colder winchills here. The kids seem to do ok. They are dressed warmer then normal and so far this year (and it's been a cold one for a change) no cases of frostbite.
My bus has a winter front on it. And it stays a little chilly in the bus. But at least it's better then being outside. |
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webegone
Active Member
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2004 : 07:15:03 AM
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| Long Johns, wool socks, sno pants, good snow boots, coat and gloves. I run mostly the front heaters. The kids rarely ask for heat in the back. If I do put it on they are taking their coats off and telling me to shut the heat off. It's been kinda' cool, but they put some cardboard in front of the radiator yesterday and that helped a little bit. They say that the cold temps keep the riff raff out, and maybe it's true. I love ND and I guess if I have to put up with the temps in order to have the fresh air and open spaces, I'll do it. I don't remember them ever cancelling school due to the cold. I've been driving 13 years and I think we've called off school 4-5 times. We go even when they advise no travel and the plows haven't been out. Our routes are mostly in town tho, so that makes a difference. |
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Peter
Top Member
USA
1057 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2004 : 2:23:59 PM
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Wolfie,
I can remember three: The record low day, which I believe was in 1996, and two consecutive days back in '92 or '93 where Arne called it off for the whole state.
Where in the state do you live, if you don't mind my asking? I'm in St. Paul. |
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92FrdCarp#11
Top Member
USA
1455 Posts |
Posted - 01/29/2004 : 4:15:31 PM
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| If I was living where yall live, then I would be wearing my coveralls all the time. |
Johnny
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bbird66
Top Member
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2004 : 11:49:29 AM
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Webegone, I've always wondered if you guys in North D and way up in north Minn. burn straight #1? and or what kind of additive do you add to the fuel?.
92 FrdCarp... insulated Carhartts work great! with longies!! |
Were gonna miss you "Brent"..Good luck in "Heidi land"
"I know you miss the Wainwrights Bobby, but they were weak and stupid people...and that's why we have wolves and other large predators" .. The Far Side
"On a two hour delay when will my child be picked up??"
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Edited by - bbird66 on 02/05/2004 11:51:17 AM |
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Peter
Top Member
USA
1057 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2004 : 4:12:03 PM
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| To answer the original question, some districts in Minnesota use -35 [i]air temperature[i] as the benchmark for considering a school closing. Last week in the Twin Cities we had temperatures as low as -24 in the morning with corresponding windchills into the -40 range. This was not cold enough to cancel school. |
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no3foreternity
Senior Member
USA
67 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2004 : 10:52:33 PM
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| Close school because it's cold? That would mean 5 months off, then 3 months on, then 3 summer months off, then 1 month on again. If I could live on that pay it would be great! But in the real world we just grin and bare it. Well not really Bare it, it is usaully all covered up with extra bundling, lol. We usually don't close unless the temps get to about -45 with the wind chill. Up north it is about -60 before they close. Their buses are all park indoors. Lucky them, parking indoors I mean. Bye the way "here" is central Alaska. |
I say "Good Morning" and call them by name,and in return I'm told the same,they go sit down and think of a rule to break,but are quickly subdued when warned of the actions I'll take. They've learned to follow the rules can be safe and can be fun........and after the high schoolers it will be the elementary run! |
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webegone
Active Member
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 08:25:03 AM
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bbird66, we fill with something called Wintermaster. It's a diesel fuel that has additive in it that keep it from gelling. Most of our buses are in a heated shop, but there are a few that sit outside, plugged in and we didn't have any trouble during the last cold spell.
My bus is a gas bus, so it never affects me. |
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CrownBus1
Top Member
USA
633 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2004 : 3:35:10 PM
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It never gets cold enough here in CA to close school because of wind chill or cold temperatures. I do not think that they should close school to windchill temperatures unless it is EXTREMELY cold. (Like more than -15 or -20), anything warmer than that people should be able to deal with.
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Bus 1
1985 Crown |
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BusBoy 1
Advanced Member
USA
212 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2004 : 8:35:05 PM
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Hey there I know this is a old post maybe no one ever reads these. I see a couple of you are from n.dak where at in n.dak I'm from Rogers near valley city.
As far as school closing who closes for cold we would never have school the only time it's warm is in the summer when were out of school. our school is out in the middle of the country in a field with a few trees around it. The theory around here is what the heck are you going to do if they don't have school. The only time I remember closing for cold the gov made the whole state close 40 some below still temp God only knows the windchill. But every one was mad that we missed school. it's hard to write about this when it was about 85 degrees today. |
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school closure due to wind chill temperature
