A late morning e-mail on Jan. 22 sent to SPA’s faculty, students, and parents alerted the community that all after-school activities had been canceled due to the snow. The snowstorm, which had been predicted several days before, is expected to have accumulations of 7 to 15 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The Winter Storm Warning, which has been put in place for much of southeast Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin, is effective until midnight.

The SPA email, sent initially by Ami Berger and forwarded to students by Jill Romans, stated that “Due to the weather forecast for this afternoon and evening, [SPA has] decided to cancel all afternoon and evening activities and events on both campuses.”

The National Weather Service sent out various alerts warning residents to stay safe in the treacherous conditions. “If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” they advised, although simply avoiding travel at all would be preferable. The National Weather Service warned of traffic on major highways, due to possible crashes, and overall dangerous weather conditions.

While school remained in session, all after school activities — including sports and drama — were canceled. Parents were urged to pick their children up right on time in an attempt to get home safely and quickly. Many students were leaving classes early, some even missing entire classes.

While the current conditions may seem overwhelming, school will likely not be canceled tomorrow according to the SPA website, which said “We anticipate that tomorrow’s schedule will not be impacted by today’s weather, but will continue to monitor the weather tonight and will alert the community as soon as possible to any change.”