snow days

Iowa City residents barely avoided pandemonium as a forecasted blizzard dumped nearly 1.25 inches of snow over the area Thursday afternoon and into the evening. Residents were not surprised yesterday to receive phone calls, voice mails, text messages and emails from Superintendent Stephen F. Murley at 4:16 p.m., 4:17 p.m., 4:18 p.m. and 4:19 p.m. declaring in advance the closure of all area schools as a measure to keep residents safe from a snowfall that very nearly re-coated sidewalks cleared just days before.