By Aayan Samdani

On Saturday night, January 24, the storm officially began. In the week leading up to it, conversations around town were about the approaching storm, leaving many uncertain about what was to come. Some were excited at the possibility of schools closing. Many grew anxious, and stores like Walmart and Kroger began running out of supplies, as people prepared for the worst. 

As soon as the snow hit, the roads turned into mayhem, with about 500 car accidents occurring within the first two days, according to ABC 8News. Schools immediately closed across the area. In many neighborhoods, it was less about the snow and more about the layers of ice that formed underneath. The freezing rain coated the roads in a thick sheet of ice, making driving nearly impossible, and even walking outside dangerous. Collegiate School was closed on Mon., January 26, resumed classes through Zoom for the next two days, and then returned to in-person learning with a delayed start on Thurs, Jan. 29. Even after reopening, many students, including myself, could not drive to school because the roads remained icy.

Many public school districts were closed longer. On January 31, a student Henrico’s Douglas Freeman High School said, “We have been closed since the 26th, with no online work or anything.” Henrico County later switched to remote learning on February 2-4 and resumed in-person school with a delay on Thurs., Feb. 5. 

Image credit: CBS6 via instagram.

Richmond felt significant impacts from the storm, with a record-setting high of 21 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 31. The city endured about 3-5 inches of snow, followed by nearly an inch of ice, making conditions even more dangerous and slowing cleanup efforts. While Richmond struggled, other parts of the country were hit even harder by the storm. Nashville, Tennessee, along with other parts of the South, experienced heavy ice that led to widespread power outages, with hundreds of thousands of families losing electricity and utility services under the weight of the ice. In the well-known college town of Oxford, Mississippi, home to Ole Miss, many students and families have also faced difficult conditions as a winter storm continued to affect the area. Snow and ice affected many parts of the beloved town, causing the University of Mississippi to temporarily close, opening on February 9. 

Collegiate followed its winter weather procedures during the storm, which allowed for one official snow day, followed by a transition to Zoom learning if closures continue. After closing on Mon., Jan. 26, the school moved to Zoom classes for the next two days, starting at 9:00, ending at 2:15, with 15 minutes of break between each class to reduce screen fatigue and 45 minutes for lunch. The day had five periods, each being 45 minutes long.

Reactions to the Zoom days were mixed among students and teachers. Upper school English teacher and Match advisor Vlastik Svab stated, “My favorite thing about Zoom classes is seeing other people’s pets,” which is an example of a small thing that teachers do to brighten up the mood of the students. Cameron Goodwyn (‘26) said, “I love Zoom days. I can just wake up right before class, and do everything from my bed.” Many students agreed with his philosophy, saying that online classes require far less effort than in-person school.

Local public schools across Richmond responded differently as conditions evolved. Henrico County’s Tuckahoe Middle School, where my brother Yousaf is an 8th grader, followed the same weather protocols as Freeman High School, remaining closed for over a week, leading into a few days of asynchronous work for students to complete at home. Rather than holding virtual classes, teachers posted assignments online, allowing students flexibility as families battled with icy roads and power issues. Yousaf said, “School was out for so long it felt like another winter break.” 

In the past, Collegiate and rival St. Christopher’s have handled major weather events in similar ways, often following the same safety and scheduling protocols. After the storm, both schools eased back into in-person learning with two-hour delays to give people more time to get to school. St. Christopher’s kept the two-hour delay for both days they returned, while Collegiate only did it on the first day back, resuming with a full schedule the next day.

Featured image credit: University of Richmond.