Ah, snow days. If you grew up in a place like Boston, news of snow meant you slept with your pajamas inside out and crossed your fingers for bad weather and icy roads.
There are plenty of apps out there that try to guess when school will be closed based on the weather, but now a Boston-based startup is actually mashing up historical school closure data to accurately predict the chances. The app? sNOw School.
sNOw School developer Ben Zeidler says the inspiration for the app came from his own childhood: “I remember always wanting a snow day, but never knowing if it would happen.” Years ago, you’d have to wait for the morning news to find out if schools were closing. Now, data from more than 5,000 schools has been packed into an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
While the app is great now, it may grow better with age. The more data the developers collect, the better chance sNOw School can turn that information into accurate predictions. Over time, the app could help inform teachers and parents in advance, while keeping the magic going for the kids.
We can’t officially recommend you skip your homework if the app flags a snow day, but sNOw School looks like it might be the most accurate prediction engine available for students in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. schools.
If you’re interested and live where the snow falls, check out the app and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
➤ sNOw School, via the App Store, Android Market ($0.99)
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.