No Snow Means Early Summer for Catonsville Students

Hey kids, there's an upside to those snow days you didn't get this winter: an early summer.

Not even could disrupt the expected earlier beginnings to the summer of 2012, data shows.

Students in Baltimore, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Howard, Carroll and Montgomery counties are among those statewide who will likely be starting their summer break a week or more earlier than last year due to a particularly balmy winter that produced no snow days.

Baltimore County announced Tuesday night that schools would close on June 8, rather than the originally planned June 14, according to Charles Herndon, a Baltimore County Public Schools spokesman. 

"We had such a mild winter, we were able to make the school year four days shorter," Herndon said. "I'm sure it's exciting for students."

Seven days were originally allotted this year for emergency closures due to inclement weather, he said. Students missed only two days at the start of the school year due to . There were no snow days taken this year in Baltimore County.

Herndon emphasized that shortening the school year is a common practice and students will still fulfil their state-mandated 180-day requirement.

This academic year, the average number of snow and inclement weather days for those counties was about 1.2 compared to 4.5 last academic year, according to a Patch review.

This year, schools commonly took inclement weather days to recover from complications from , including Baltimore County.

Baltimore County school students had their last day on June 17 in 2011, data shows.

The last day of school this year is June 8 for students in Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Carroll counties, which ended their school years on June 17, June 14 and June 16 in 2011, respectively.

However, the end date in Carroll County will not be officially approved until a school board meeting later this month, a school spokeswoman said.

Howard County officials said the district’s June 11 scheduled last day of school was also tentative, and is dependent on good weather for the rest of the year.

Last year, Howard County students

“Of course, we can never be sure that school won't be disrupted for weather-related or other reasons over the next two months,” wrote Howard County district spokeswoman Patti Caplan in an email.

Montgomery County students will have their last day on June 12, compared to June 16 last year.

And it's likely June 14 for Baltimore County students, a date that’s still in flux and subject to change based on school board decisions, officials said.

Weigh in below: Does an earlier ending to the school year improve your summer break plans?