At 3 a.m., as students are tucked away in their cozy beds, Merv MaWhinney’s alarm clock is buzzing. He grabs his coat and heads outside to make a decision that will either make or break the day of every student in Baltimore County.

MaWhinney is a member of a team of five people in the transportation department in Baltimore County. Their job is to decide snow days for the public school system. Each member wakes up at three o’clock and drives to a specific area of Baltimore for an hour or more. They meet afterwards and assess the conditions of the roads.

In explaining the reason for their early working hours, MaWhinney said, “We have buses that leave as early as 4:50, so we try to get it done in time. We want to make sure we get the call so drivers and students know as soon as possible.”

The superintendent makes the final decision based on comments from the team. Even though the interstate and main state highways are usually safe, the country roads can be very hazardous. MaWhinney said about the road conditions, “The roads can be hazardous, and we don’t have four wheel drive. We have regular cars.”

MaWhinney is also a driving instructor and a bus driver. These two jobs help him to make his decision about the safety of the roads. “A road that it okay for cars may not be okay for buses,” explained MaWhinney.

MaWhinney used to work for the Harford Country district before switching to Baltimore.  While he was in Harford County, he had to work through one of the worst snows of his life. In 1996, Harford County had 27 days of ice. “That was 27 straight days of getting up at three in the morning. That got old,” said MaWhinney.

However, MaWhinney doesn’t regret any decisions he has made about snow days. “I try not to have a snow day so I can get out earlier. I don’t want to extend the school year any more than I have to. If we need the day, we use it—if not, we don’t.”

Haley Lynch can be reached for comment at [email protected].