The blinds are opened, grass is nowhere to be seen and white covers the ground. The spoons are under the pillow as the pajamas are worn inside out. The news is out, it’s a snow day. Most would agree that a snow day is one the best things to wake up to. Something about not knowing what the next day holds, that comes with a snow day is part of the experience.

“Waking up on a snow day often begins with a sense of something different — a quietness in the air, a brightness peeking through the curtains,” Hoover math teacher Mr. Mike Sigler said. “You throw off the blankets and rush to the window, heart racing with hope. Outside, the world is a shimmering white wonderland, with snow blanketing the ground, the trees, and the streets. But the suspense isn’t over yet. Back then, you couldn’t just check your phone or refresh a website—you had to listen to the radio. Gathering around with siblings or parents, you’d hang on every word as the DJ slowly read through the list of school closures. The tension would build as they went through names alphabetically. Then, finally, your school’s name is announced: closed for the day! Cheers erupt, and the day feels instantly brighter. The best part? Realizing that the test you were dreading or the homework you forgot to finish has just been postponed. That unexpected reprieve adds a layer of relief and makes the day feel even sweeter. Suddenly, the impossible weight of schoolwork is lifted, and the day becomes a gift. From there, the fun begins — layering up in mismatched gloves and
scarves, running outside to dive into the snow, or sledding down the steepest hill in the neighborhood. And when your fingers are too cold to move, coming back inside for hot chocolate feels like the perfect ending to a perfect, unexpected holiday.”

As with many a snow day holds more basic activities like, sledding, snowball fights, etc., but some do more unusual activities, like Hoover freshman Brenna Estes.

“A favorite snow day memory would have to be when my dad tied a sled to the back of our four-wheeler and went around the neighborhood with my brother or I on the sled in the back,” she said.

Now all you have to do to find out about the snow day is wait for a call, but many still remember the times when we had to sit in front of the tv with suspense waiting for their school to roll across the screen.

“When I was in elementary school we’d wake up in the morning, look outside, turn on the news and watch the bottom of the screen in hopes of seeing North Canton City Schools called off,” Hoover English teacher Mrs. Danielle Wackerly said. “It was an exciting waiting game. It was more fun than getting an all-call. It was also frustrating when you’d miss the news and have to sit and wait for the list to start over as it ran alphabetically. We’d also sit there and watch for a while just in case we got a late call-off. It was the best feeling when you’d see it on the bottom of the TV screen and you could go back to bed for a few hours!”

Some have fun stories from very snowy days rather than traditional school snow days. Hoover custodian Mr. Greg Duckworth recalled a day not forgotten.

“It was a Sunday that would forever change my life,” he said. “I was fourteen years old and heading to the Richfield Coliseum to see the rock band KISS. The weather was decent for a Sunday, January 8, 1978. I had a windbreaker on because it was sprinkling rain. But boy did things change within a couple of hours into the show! I will always remember when Paul Stanley said: ‘It may be a Blizzard outside but we’re going to get this place Hotter Than H***!’ This is the title of one of their hit songs. I thought to myself what is he talking about? Still to this day, it’s the greatest live concert I have ever experienced! Anyway, after the show was over and they opened the doors, it was as if we were transported to Antarctica! We were stuck in Richfield for a couple of days. I lived in Canton, and they were shut down as well. There was some serious snow day action for days all around Northeast Ohio.”

Some years, however, snow days weren’t as enjoyable, as Hoover junior Julia Frantz recalls.

“The school had to send home ‘Blizzard Packets’ or ‘Blizzard Bags’ — when we had school off for about two weeks when I was in elementary school,” she said.

Even if your snow days aren’t quite as eventful as others, they can still be a very fun, nice, calm day.

“One snow day in seventh grade, I slept in until 1 p.m.,” Hoover freshman Nora Bishop said.