Snow Day Calculator predicts if schools will close for snow
With New Jersey coming up on two years with little snow to speak of, you can bet kids are missing one major winter highlight − snow days!
Assuming Jack Frost comes to call one of these days, there's a tool taking the internet by, um, storm, that can help predict whether school will be called off.
Snow Day Calculator
The Snow Day Calculator asks users to input their location, how many snow days they've had this school year and what type of school (public, urban public, rural public, private/prep or boarding) they attend. It then uses a "custom formula" to predict the chance of a snow day in the next two days.
Users can get a third day of predictions by signing up for a free trial or purchasing a one-year subscription for $4 or a two-year subscription for $7. You can receive text messages with the predictions.
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Snow Calculator history
Much like Frosty, the calculator came to life one day − as a middle school project in 2007. Back then, users had to retrieve their own weather data, and the program would output the likelihood of snow, according to SnowCalculator.com.
In 2010, the calculator launched automatic forecast retrieval from the National Weather Service, meaning it could automatically predict snow data for any ZIP code in the United States. According to the service, today more than 5 million people use the tool each year to "get wickedly accurate info about if their school will be closed due to the coming weather. Users happily refresh their predictions multiple times a day (sometimes several times an hour) to get the latest prediction using the latest weather information."
There also are iOS and Android apps for the Snow Calculator available to download.
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How does the Snow Calculator work?
So how does it work?
"Snow day predictions use the timing and strength of a snowstorm, wind, temperature, ice forecasts and historical information about a user’s location and school," according to the website, which says it is 100% accurate in many locations.
As users report what actually happened each day, the calculator "learns" more about each school and region, helping it get more and more accurate.
There is one thing the calculator can't predict, though − whether or not a school closing means online learning or an actual day off. Check with your local district to find out the emergency closing plans.
Visit snowdaycalculator.com for more information or to try out the tool.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Snowday predictor: Calculator predicts school snow closings
