OHS students experienced a string of snow days as snowstorms covered St. Louis after winter break. The recent weather led to multiple district closures, causing both excitement and disruption in the area. With multiple inches of snowfall and icy conditions, the school administration worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of students and staff while navigating the challenges caused by the severe winter weather.

“The ultimate decision for snow days falls to the Superintendent, Dr. Haug. He has meetings with the other area superintendents, the highway department and national weather service to make the decision,” principal Brian Brennan said. “They have Zoom meetings mid-afternoons and early mornings when snow days are possible.” 

When students finally returned to school on Jan. 9, security guard Ellen Auer helped to make sure students were safe while navigating the potential hazards of the school parking lot.

“I think the students did a great job parking and driving,” Auer said. “They navigated pretty well through the streets of Oakville.” 

Driving in Oakville with many first-time drivers can present risks, but icy conditions add another layer of danger for anyone.

“For me, I stood on about four by eight feet of a block of ice, so it was pretty dangerous for me. But because we’re on a slope, all the ice pulls down, and it’s just not ideal. It’s kind of scary and dangerous,” Auer said. 

Since many students park outside, this resulted in some difficulty getting out and on the road. 

“When I tried to back up out of my driveway, I almost slid right into a mailbox. I went like halfway down the driveway with zero traction,” Jacob Gilyon (12) said. 

Though most snow was plowed and treated and easy to drive on after the first few days after the snow fell, this wasn’t the situation for many in the Oakville community. Gilyon felt Telegraph was particularly bad and saw multiple cars sliding, which he also experienced. Areas that were more difficult to get to, though, presented issues for days, and even weeks in some cases, after the initial snowfall.

“The fact that we got a lot of sleet and then snow made it very difficult to clear. When they were able to move it, the piles were extremely heavy, which limited their ability to make sure all parking spots were clear,” Brennan said. “Unfortunately, that meant some teachers and a lot of students were not able to park. Some still are unable to do so.”

To ensure a safe driving environment, it took many in the building to prepare for the school’s reopening.

“We have all our landscapers, all of our people that do maintenance and plumbing and heating and HVAC. They all pitched in and came in on Sunday (Jan. 5),” Auer said. “So while we were all sleeping and having a day off, they were out here busting their butts.”

For Brennan and the rest of the district’s administration, safety comes first in the decision of implementing snow days. Keeping everyone safe is above every other factor, and he is thankful for the work that they did.

“Clearing the lots and sidewalks is a difficult task. Our facilities and custodial staff have to first safely arrive from their own homes. Once they are at work, they must clear things so they can get their equipment out. They then have almost 20 district properties they must clear. This means plowing and salting parking lots and shoveling and salting sidewalks and steps. The nature of the first storm we had made that extremely challenging. This process tends to be much easier if it is merely snow being cleared. The fact that we got a lot of sleet and then snow, made it very difficult to clear,” Brennan said. “When they were able to move it, the piles were extremely heavy, which limited their ability to make sure all parking spots were clear.   Unfortunately, that meant some teachers and a lot of students were not able to park. Some still are unable to do so. The extreme cold temperatures have refrozen a lot of what melted and made it even more difficult to clear.”

Most of the snow has cleared up since the snow days, but a little still remains and snow is in the forecast for the upcoming week as well. 

“I’m just glad that most of the snow is gone,” Gilyon said, “and I’m able to drive.”