A snow day with no snow.

For many it seemed a bit odd that Federal Way Public Schools called a snow day on Wednesday when there wasn’t any snow on the ground. That move, however, was a precautionary one.

“There was a prediction and we anticipated there was going to be snow,” district spokeswoman Diane Turner said. “We’d rather err on the side of caution then take a chance of kids in school, then snow. That’s one of the worst situations to be in.”

Snow day decisions are made by the deputy superintendent and the transportation department. Very early in the morning, usually around 4:30 a.m., they determine if the roads are safe for buses and the sidewalks are safe for walking.

“We don’t want kids to try and navigate slick roads,” Turner said.

Announcements for changes due to inclement weather have to be made early before high schools start at 7:30 a.m. Many schools also have zero hour, where students are at school well before start time in classes.

The district has no snow days set aside on the calendar, so the days missed for snow will be made up after the scheduled last day of school on June 12.

“We can’t speculate about the weather,” Turner said. “The best decision we can make is to always err on the side of safety for the kids. All the districts in the Puget Sound are having the same dilemma.”

The holiday break starts next week and school will resume again after the New Year.