By Josh Chang
Just after 7:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, less than an hour before the scheduled start of the IHS school day, a delayed opening was announced by Superintendent Harrison. Then, an hour and 15 minutes later, the entire day was called off. Some students and teachers had already arrived at the school before the delay was announced and were told to head home.
The reason for the confusion? Ice.
Unexpectedly severe freezing rain Wednesday morning between five and seven a.m. had made roads extremely slick, leading to accidents and road closures throughout the region. Along with hazardous conditions for drivers in Irvington, this also had the consequence of making it difficult for bus drivers to get to work. Without enough bus drivers, who are already in short supply due to the ongoing labor shortage, the district could not open.
“As a result of the weather, there is a significant shortage of bus drivers. This coupled with continued road closures in the region will prohibit the District’s ability to open today,” wrote Assistant Superintendent Duffy in an email.
Later in the day, Dr. Harrison sent an email to the District apologizing for the slow response. “With each inclement weather event, the District consults with meteorologists, the local police, transportation and the Department of Public Works in an effort to make the best decision possible. Today’s efforts began at 4:00 am, and, at that time, what was eventually experienced across the region had not been predicted,” he wrote. “In a typical winter storm, this would not have occurred as it did. However, as you know, the weather over the past year or so has been anything but typical.”
The National Weather Service had indicated Tuesday night the chance for freezing rain in the region, but forecasts showed that it would stay north of Irvington. Instead, temperatures dropped lower than expected, and ice accumulated quickly as showers passed through.
At least one person had died in Westchester in connection to the weather, according to officials. “One person was killed this morning about 6:30 a.m. in a crash on the ramp connecting the E/B Cross County Parkway to the N/B Bronx River Parkway. That ramp will remain closed for several hours as a result of the ongoing accident investigation,” the Westchester County Police Department said on Twitter. Pelham Police said they responded to a 35-vehicle pile-up on the Hutchinson River Parkway. Significant delays were reported at Newark and LaGuardia Airports, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Freezing rain occurs when it is raining, but the temperature at the surface is below freezing, so the water freezes moments after contact with the ground. All precipitation in winter, including rain, begins as snow. With freezing rain, a layer of warm air aloft melts the snow into rain. Then, a layer of cold air near the ground needs to be below freezing but not cold or thick enough to re-freeze the raindrops into ice pellets (sleet) before they hit the ground. Hitting this Goldilocks zone is rare, which is why freezing rain is difficult to predict and can strike without warning.
By mid-morning, temperatures had risen above freezing, and the ice quickly melted. By noon, most closed roads had been reopened and traffic improved across the region, according to the New York 511.
With snow in the forecast for Friday morning, Dr. Harrison promised to do his best to make the call earlier. “As we all look ahead to the balance of this winter, including a possible snow event Thursday night into Friday, please be assured that I will do everything possible to notify the school community of changes to the school day as soon as possible,” he said.
