If snow shows, APS says it's ready

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The Albuquerque Public Schools district is getting ready for whatever the wintry weekend storm might bring and put its snow-watch program into effect Friday.

The volunteers in the program report neighborhood conditions and help decide if school will be delayed or canceled after a storm.

It seems almost every year parents get angry because of cancellations or a lack of them.

Online:  APS weather-closure procedure »

APS officials say the process is tricky because the district covers 12,000 square miles.

The process starts at 2:30 a.m. as the district consults road crews, the National Weather Service, and police and even checks the roads themselves before making a call.

"Sometimes you have that there's no storm, it's not snowing.  You make that call and then the snow comes," APS Chief Operations Officer Brad Winter said.  "So we've got to be very careful in what we call.

"And let me tell you what.  Sometimes you don't make everybody happy.  It's very tricky.

Right now the East Mountain schools are the only ones that are under a different cancellation system.

There are four snow days in the APS calendar this year, two before Memorial Day and two at the end of the year.

The East Mountain schools have more.

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