As powerful winter storms moved across the Midwest and into the Northeast last month, snow-covered highways, icy overpasses and whiteout conditions disrupted daily travel across multiple states. For many commuters, the storm meant delayed workdays or staying home altogether.
For school bus drivers, it meant something entirely different.
Like the U.S. Postal Service, school bus drivers navigate rain, sleet, snow, ice, high winds, and reduced visibility—often on tight schedules and challenging terrain—while transporting students safely to and from school. For districts returning from the winter break and resuming operations in regions where winter weather is unpredictable or severe, these conditions are not occasional obstacles but a routine part of operations.
School Transportation News last month asked school bus driver-trainers and safety leaders in Colorado how school transportation professionals prepare for and manage these high-risk conditions. They have spent years operating and training others to operate school buses in some of the most challenging winter environments in the country.
Preparing for Unpredictable Conditions
In Weld County School District 6, driver-trainer Shadra Terrill said rapid weather shifts are a constant consideration when preparing drivers to navigate roads in and around Greeley, Colorado.
“In Colorado, there are several different weather days,” Terrill said. “You could wake up to 60–80-degree weather and by the end of the day have a tornado or blizzard. We are always teaching and training for Mother Nature.”
Preparation begins well before drivers leave the yard. Terrill said district mechanics and technicians start buses well before dawn to ensure engines and systems are operating properly.
“Our mechanics start our buses at 3 a.m. on cold days,” she said. “We give drivers an extra 10–15 minutes as needed to clean off snow from all lights and windows.”
Beyond mechanical readiness, Terrill emphasized that driver judgment plays a critical role in winter safety. She shared an experience that continues to shape her approach to training.
“I once had heavy wind and rain. The roads were flooding, so I pulled off the highway, parked the bus in a gas station parking lot with a line of trees as a windbreak on one side of the bus,” she said.
With six students onboard, Terrill focused on both physical and emotional safety.
“I had six students and had them all sit one to a seat, facing each other with their backs to the windows,” she said.
Clear communication followed immediately.
“We called dispatch, and some called their parents to let everyone know where we were and that we were safe,” Terrill said. “I stayed calm, which helped them stay calm.”
Once conditions improved, the route was completed safely. That experience reinforces the core message Terrill shares with drivers, which is “to stay calm, take a deep breath and stay focused on safety.”
Mountain Training as a Core Requirement
For districts operating in mountainous terrain, winter preparation often extends well beyond standard CDL requirements. In Weld County and across Colorado, mountainous driving is mandatory training.
“Weld County School District 6 does have a specific training class for mountains, which includes weather training,” she said. “They have a class for approximately eight hours, and each driver is taken to the mountains for a daylong trip.”
Training covers chaining procedures, auto socks, hairpin turns, grade and pitch management, and adverse weather response.
“All [brake] retarders must be turned off, if there is any moisture on the ground or falling from the sky,” Terrill said. “Drive slowly and give yourself doubled stopping and following distance.”
Drivers progress through federally mandated Entry-Level Driver Training, skills development and pre-trip mastery before testing for a CDL. Training does not end there.
“Once a trainee has completed ELDT, driving techniques, skills training, and learned their pre-trip of the bus, they would receive their CDL after testing,” she said. “We then take the trainee and teach them all series of buses, so they are comfortable with driving before any adverse weather.”
Routes are rarely modified, she added, but support is always available.
“Should anyone ask for assistance or would like someone to ride with them, we will make that happen,” Terrill said.
Her guidance remains consistent.
“The best advice I can give is take your time, be observant, slow down and give yourself space,” she said.
Lessons from Historic Winter Storms
In nearby Colorado Springs, Debbie Thomas, lead driver-trainer for Widefield School District, said her approach to winter driving has been shaped by decades of experience, including the blizzard of 1997.
“The most challenging, memorable winter weather situation was the blizzard of 1997,” Thomas said. “The school districts shut down due to the whiteout conditions that were prevalent, and the forecast for continuous high winds with blizzard conditions.”
She recalled winds exceeding 60 mph, snow accumulation over three feet and snowdrifts reaching 15 feet.
“The schools had to shut down for three days for the area to dig out,” she said.
Thomas said preparation and composure are essential when conditions deteriorate.
“I always respect the weather and prepare for the unexpected,” she said. “I remained calm and relied on my driving capabilities so that my students would have faith in me to get them home safely.”
Maintaining a steady environment for students is also part of safe operation.
“I love to have fun with my students, so talking to them and ensuring that everything was going to be all right made the hourlong drive enjoyable,” she said.
From a technical standpoint, Thomas emphasized fundamentals that apply in all severe weather.
“Using my over-the-road experience and training, I increased my following distance, used my gears, went slow and delivered my students to their homes,” she said.
Training for Severe Weather Conditions
When discussing how new drivers are prepared for winter conditions, Thomas emphasized confidence built through repetition and fundamentals.
“Trust your driving abilities. Trust your training. Trust your vehicle by ensuring that they have done a proper safety inspection. Slow down. Increase your following distance. Use engine compression first (gearing down). Use feather braking when needed,” she said, adding that situational awareness is also central to training.
“Check your surroundings and expect the unexpected. Look for those hazards — Other roadway drivers, stalled vehicles, icy intersections, etc.,” she continued.
Widefield School District distributes monthly safety flyers focused on adverse weather and operates a mountain driving program that blends classroom instruction with hands-on experience.
“For mountain driving, we do hands-on application of actual driving,” Thomas said. “Certificates are issued for drivers participating in the mountain driving program.”
Despite this month’s storm, Thomas said Colorado operations were not significantly affected.
“Colorado usually gets the bulk of its snow in the spring, and then it is a heavy, wet snow,” she said, adding that support from trainers is critical.
“Being there and supporting them when they need it most,” Thomas said. “Answering questions with clarity and from my own experiences.”
Confidence, she noted, develops over time.
“Eventually, new drivers have to drive in adverse weather conditions without a trainer on board,” she said. “This builds confidence when a trainer is there to guide and direct correct maneuvers for driving in rain, sleet, snow and ice.”
Her message to first-time winter drivers is clear.
“Have confidence in your training. Go slow, do not be in a hurry, and you can do this.”
Managing Loss of Traction in Mountainous Terrain
For Marcus Thomas, transportation safety manager for Colorado Springs School District 11 and unrelated to Debbie Thomas, winter driving risks are most pronounced on steep grades, where packed snow and black ice can quickly compromise traction. Drawing from years of experience operating school buses on mountain roads, Thomas described one situation that underscores how rapidly conditions can change.
“Many miles and years of driving up mountainous roads, hills and downhill with snow-packed roads utilizing the Onspot Automatic Tire Chains,” he said. “Driving on black ice on a downhill, the school bus lost traction and started to slide sideways.”
In that moment, Thomas said, the priority was maintaining control and resisting overcorrection.
“Stayey alert. Slow down. Stayed in control,” he said. “Drove slowly and deployed the Onspot Automatic Tire Chains in the snow-packed roads.”
Black ice, he added, leaves little margin for error and demands patience and space. He advised driving cautiously, riding it out slowly and increasing the following distance when driving in snowy conditions (increased following spacing by doubling the four- to six-second rule). He said his district follows Colorado Department of Education guidance for adverse weather and mountain driving certifications.
“All drivers are certified on a Mountain Road Drive Certification in a school bus,” Thomas said.
Operational Adjustments During Severe Weather
Thomas said winter storms may prompt operational changes, but safety remains the priority.
“Some school closings will happen if necessary to keep the public, students and employees safe,” he said.
Routes and student stops are adjusted when needed, and two-hour delays are used to allow conditions to improve.
“All drivers will get the experience of driving in adverse conditions,” he said.
Preparation also includes reinforcing equipment checks.
“Even though it is inspected every day during pre-trip inspections, double-check the following: Onspot Automatic Tire Chains, tire depth, windshield wipers and fluid and also check heaters and defrosters,” Thomas said.
Winter in-service briefings begin in October and include hands-on practice.
“We have the drivers deploy their chains and also turn in adverse-weather student stop and route directions,” he said.
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Safety Culture and Driver Mindset
Across all three districts, one message remained consistent: Safety takes precedence over schedules.
“One key thing we push is the first stop is the only one that matters,” Marcus Thomas said. “All the other stops you will be late for due to the safety precautions and hazardous conditions.”
Terrill echoed the same principle.“We teach drivers to stay calm, take a deep breath, and stay focused on safety,” she said.
Debbie Thomas summed it up simply. “Trust your training,” she said
