Students in the Oxford school district had days off Monday and Tuesday, but not because of heavy snowfall or icy roads.
The district’s website said that ‘extreme cold and wind chill? were the reasons for the two-day closure.
According to NOAA’s National Weather Service in White Lake Township, the extremely low temperatures were a very good reason to stay inside.
Bill Deedler, from the weather station in White Lake, said Saturday’s low temperature was zero degrees, with a wind chill ranging from 20-30 below zero.
Sunday saw temperatures dip below zero with a low of -7 degrees. Monday was -9 and Tuesday was -6.
Char Podzikowski, supervisor of Oxford Schools transportation department, said in the 17 years she’s worked for the district she’s never seen cold weather cause a problem quite like this.
‘My mechanics spent pretty much all day (Monday), from 5 a.m. till 5:15 (p.m.) to get every one of the buses running,? she said. ‘The buses wouldn’t have started Monday for sure after sitting for the weekend.?
Podzikowski said her mechanics had to do all sorts of things to make sure the 48 engines stayed warm such as driving the buses on the road and even using exhaust from one bus to heat the engine of another.
On Monday, the district’s fueling company came out to the bus garage on Lakeville Rd. and mixed an additive into the bus fuel to prevent it from ‘gelling? and disrupting the engine.
Podzikowski noted that during these cold winter months, parents need to make sure their children dress properly for the weather when waiting at the bus stop ? no matter how ‘un-cool? they think they’ll look.