As most Tennesseans know, consistency and Tennessee are never hand in hand when it comes to the weather.  

Tennessee weather is ambiguous, as the forecast may say clear skies . . . but then it’s raining and cloudy in ten minutes. From New Year’s Day to the first weeks back from break, the weather was chaotic. 

The weather always seems to change in a flash and bring other problems. Ever so quickly, middle Tennessee weather went from the flooding in Waverly, Tennessee, to freezing in Murfreesboro. 

December 20 marked the start of winter break in Tennessee, which isn’t “real” winter break. It is simply warm or cool during the day and then extremely cold as soon as the sun sets. During that break, we usually get rain and maybe the black sludge that we are so convinced is a sign of snow. 

This time the weather came with inches of snow and ice on our windshields. The majority of students experience problems when the weather is too unpredictable. It can quickly turn into a safety issue.  

“If the weather is so bad, I am way too scared to drive, so I always have to ask my mom for rides to and from school that day,” said Allison Gibbons, senior.  

The use of two-hour delays makes students turn to each other and different ways to handle upcoming assignments in various courses.  

“Usually if the roads are icy, I won’t even consider driving because I have had a lot of friends do get into accidents. Fortunately, I can text and contact my other peers about questions and how to do something.” Rainelli Koumangoye, junior. 

The lack of school interrupts class, making tested courses fall behind schedule. 

“It definitely gets harder especially in my AP class because we weren’t here and had to rely on ourselves to catch up,” stated Samantha McCauley, junior. 

As for teachers, lesson plans, and classroom conduct, academics become frustrating. This increases when teachers are faced with AP Exams that always seem to be around the corner.  

“It does become more difficult with the snow days, especially for AP Chemistry, when I have to prep students for the exam. That’s when I must do tradeoffs with the essentials and what students need” said Kimberly Baumann, chemistry teacher. 

The major reoccurring issue with the unruly and unpredictable weather is the way that it infringes on teachers’ plans and student learning. Some issues that can arise can be internet connections to student confusion and concentration.  

“I know for AP teachers it is difficult because they are trying to get students ready for exams. I am teaching all the way to May,” stated Courtney Meadows, earth science teacher.  

When you live in Tennessee, it can be hard to keep up with the altering weather. Some ways to do so are downloading a weather app or following Rutherford County Schools on Twitter for updates about the weather in our county.