Wintry weather shut down public and private schools along with city and county government offices for a second consecutive day Wednesday.
Vicksburg Warren School District, Porters Chapel Academy, Vicksburg Catholic Schools, Hinds Community College and Alcorn State University’s Vicksburg branch were closed Wednesday.
“The National Weather Service and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency could not provide a clear picture of just how much — if any — snow and ice would be included in this second wave of wintry weather, but the threat was too much for school officials to chance,” VWSD Superintendent Chad Shealy.
“I talked to Warren County Emergency Manager John Elfer and he couldn’t commit to whether we would have temperatures low enough for there to be anything more than rain early,” Shealy said. “The afternoon was really bothering us the most.”
“I didn’t want to have an Atlanta situation,” Shealy said. “I would much rather have people mad at me because all we had was rain than to have children stranded at school.”
“This was a tough decision, it is probably the toughest decision I make,” he said. “As we make that decision, it’s safety first. I don’t just think about the buses, we have a lot of inexperienced drivers at the high schools.”
“The thing that makes Warren County so unique is that we have so many hills, bridges and brick streets, all that plays into it. What might not seem like much becomes very treacherous when you put it on inclines,” he said.
“The other thing that is different with us than Jackson or Clinton is that we have the whole county to think about. I have to rely on a team. If it wasn’t for the Vicksburg Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the VWSD crew we couldn’t do this,” Shealy said.
“John Elfer is phenomenal. This guy is on the phone with me every two hours during an event like this. It’s truly a team effort.”
“I struggle with taking a day of education away from a child,” Shealy said. “I’m trying to protect that instructional time, but safety is more important than that.”
Icy conditions shut down education Tuesday after closing the Vicksburg Warren School District early Monday.
School started as scheduled Monday but elementary schools were dismissed at 1 p.m., junior highs at 2:05 p.m. and high schools at 2:20 p.m. All after school activities were canceled as well.
Porters Chapel Academy and Vicksburg Catholic Schools did not dismiss early.
Many area daycares closed early and remained closed Wednesday.
“After talking to North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield, who is over emergency response, it was decided it would be safer to close the city than to risk having employees drive in and out,” Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said. “It was safer to err on the side of caution. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused any taxpayers.”
“It’s too dangerous for anyone to be driving.” Flaggs said. “We’re going day-by-day.”
Warren County offices were closed as well, Elfer said.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for rain and freezing rain, possibly mixed with snow before 10 a.m., then rain and snow between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., then snow likely after 3 p.m. The high will be near 35 degrees and total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Wednesday night’s forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of light snow, mainly between 9 p.m. and midnight, with a low around 26 degrees.
Thursday should be warmer with a high near 44 degrees and mostly cloudy skies