Wintry mix prompts some communities to delay, close school

EASTHAMPTON, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The wintry weather led several districts to delay or cancel classes on Wednesday, including Easthampton where school was cancelled out of an abundance of caution.

The roads may have looked clear for much of the day in the Easthampton area, but despite the roads being pre-treated by public works crews, city officials wanted to make sure everyone was safe either while driving or walking, especially with a mix of snow and rain falling through much of the morning.

“This is becoming more and more a dilemma with climate change,” said Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle. “We’re preparing for storm drains that are blocked because of ice and now, it rains on top, so we’ll be clearing those.”

While there were no traffic problems or other issues, Easthampton Public Schools were at first delayed for two hours, but at the last minute, the district and city officials made a rare last-minute pivot and cancelled school as a safety precaution.

“A lot of the city’s streets don’t have sidewalks and folks who can clear ice or will clear ice are at work,” LaChapelle explained. “Depending on the temperature depth, we’ll continue to pre-treat, but we might end up with a pretty substantial layer of ice on top of water on the roads and that certainly is a concern.”

Despite the weather, there were Easthampton residents who still went about their day, such as Kevin Miller, who took time to shovel.

“Little weight to it, but it came out pretty good. It’s going to warm up, so it will be melting soon,” Miller said.

Miller told us he would continue to clear pathways in the neighborhood.

“I have some sidewalks to shovel. I live over on Center Street,” Miller explained. “If you can push it, that’s better, try not to pick it up.”

As questions loom about students returning to the classroom, LaChapelle asked the public to be careful where they walk and do what they can to make sidewalks safe.

“If you can throw a little sand on your sidewalks or neighbors’ sidewalks, it would be really appreciated. Also, avoid puddles. You don’t know how deep they are and if they’re maybe full of ice underneath,” Miller noted.

LaChapelle said a decision will be made by Thursday morning to determine whether schools will be back open.