Cold snap catches school district by surprise

Parents in Anne Arundel were pretty upset when schools decided to start on time Thursday morning.

Slippery roads caused dozens of accidents.

So what happened?

“It’s been pretty disappointing,” said parent Keith Mastros. “There was a lot of ice on the roads, and the cars. It’s been pretty tough. I think they missed the call.”

Officials with the Anne Arundel County School District say the cold snap Thursday hit at the absolute worst time. They do road checks at 4 and 5 a.m., and at that point, they say, the roads were fine.

As temperatures dropped at around 6 a.m., buses were already on the road.

“If the road temperatures are hovering above freezing and we get that cold snap that takes it to just below freezing, we saw what can happen,” said school district spokesman Bob Mosier.

Anne Arundel wasn’t alone in the slippery surprise. None of the surrounding counties had delays.