On Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, snow began to fall in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was the beginning of what would become the area’s most significant winter storm since 2016. Winter Storm Fern covered wide swaths of North America with blankets of stubborn snow and ice, trapping many in their homes.
Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) instituted remote learning days until the roads were safe for buses to travel again. Students stayed at home from Jan. 26-Feb. 4, returning to their school buildings after a two-hour delay on Feb. 5.
“This winter storm was a once-in-a-generation weather event, and a tremendous amount of work was done behind the scenes to keep Lynchburg students and families safe. I’m grateful for the hard work, dedication, and flexibility of LCS staff members, as well as our strong partnerships with the City of Lynchburg,” said LCS Superintendent Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette.
Read on for a peek behind the scenes of the LCS response to the biggest snowstorm in ten years.
A snowy road in Lynchburg after being plowed. Photo by the City of Lynchburg.
Snowplows, Meet Snowcrete
“I’ve been doing this for 18 years, and I’ve never seen a snowstorm like this. It was so icy and compact,” said LCS Director of Facilities & Maintenance Don Floyd.
Nicknamed “snowcrete” by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the icy buildup enveloping roads across the Commonwealth was notoriously difficult to remove. Dense layers of snow and ice refused to budge, even when plowed, and persistent sub-freezing temperatures didn’t help. LCS Facilities & Maintenance staff slowly but surely cleared parking lots and sidewalks.
“Our guys really know what they’re doing. We’ve got some veterans who’ve been with LCS for years. Their work is invaluable,” Floyd said.
All Hands on Deck
LCS worked closely with the City of Lynchburg’s Public Works Department, which provided salt and slag for use on school grounds. Collaboration between LCS and the city started well before the first snowflake fell.
“This was a challenge, and we all worked through it. My whole department was focused on getting the schools open safely. We worked closely with the City of Lynchburg and the LCS Transportation Department—it was all hands on deck,” Floyd said.
LCS Transportation leaders drove around the city daily to assess conditions along LCS bus routes and let the city know which areas needed attention. The Public Works Department took special care to clear bus stops and side streets in neighborhoods where students live.
"I’m incredibly proud of how our Public Works crews and the LCS team worked closely together to clear the way for students to return to school safely after such a challenging storm. It took daily coordination among numerous city departments under tough conditions to make sure buses could pick up students at their typical stops and get them to their respective school buildings,” said City of Lynchburg Public Works Director Gaynelle Hart.
Introducing Remote Learning
As plows wrestled with the snowcrete outside, students continued learning from the comfort of their homes. Introduced with the onset of Winter Storm Fern, remote learning days helped students stay engaged during weather-related closures. This minimized the need for calendar adjustments to make up for lost instructional time.
“Despite the storm, students were able to continue learning and connecting with their teachers from home,” said LCS Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jen Davis. “We’re grateful for the patience of our students, staff members, and families in adapting to remote learning until it was safe to return to school buildings.”
Elementary and middle school students completed educational activities using paper packets distributed before the storm, and high schoolers completed assignments using their school-provided Chromebooks. There were even optional choiceboard activities available for preschoolers. Teachers provided support and guidance through optional virtual office hours.
“I’m grateful that LCS implemented remote learning. It was perfect timing, and the students didn’t lose a whole lot of what they’d learned because they were able to continue working on assignments,” said LCS parent Kristen Overstreet. “This was a crippling storm. It was perfect timing to implement remote learning.”
LCS teachers find time for snowy fun after supporting students on remote learning days.
School Meals Fuel Remote Learning Days
With all that remote learning, students were bound to work up an appetite. LCS distributed breakfast and lunch for pickup while school buildings were closed. Overall, they served 2,389 meals to go.
“LCS was proud to provide meals for our students throughout the storm. I’m grateful for my incredible School Nutrition staff, who went above and beyond to keep our children fueled for remote learning,” said LCS Director of School Nutrition Beth Morris.
LCS School Nutrition employees distribute meals to families in need.
Superintendent Helps Student with Snowy Situation
After one regular snow day and seven remote learning days, it was safe for students to go back to school in person. LCS announced that students would return to school on a two-hour delay on Thursday, Feb. 5.
When E. C. Glass High School tenth grader AJ Coles got the message on Wednesday, Feb. 4, he wasn’t sure how he’d get to school the next morning. The road he lived on was still icy, and his mom drives him to school daily. But she’d been working from home since the storm hit, unable to make the trip to her workplace.
“When I found out we were having a two-hour delay, I was confused because my road was still really bad. So I looked up the superintendent’s number on the LCS website and gave her a call,” Coles said. “An hour later, I got a call from an unknown number. It was the superintendent. I didn’t believe it was her at first. We talked, and she said she would get some people from the city to plow my road.”
Coles was pleasantly surprised when LCS Superintendent Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette called him back—and even more pleased when a snowplow paid a visit to his street later that evening. LCS Chief Operations Officer (COO) Travis Marshall reached out to the City of Lynchburg’s Public Works Department, and within hours, AJ’s road was clear. He and his mom traveled to school and work on Thursday without a hitch.
“I felt like I was on top of the world when I got the call. I was shocked that she took the time to talk to me. She was really nice. She even came to my school to meet me in person. My mom and I were able to get to work and school safely because of her,” Coles said.
From left to right: LCS Superintendent Dr. Kristy Somerville-Midgette, E. C. Glass Student AJ Coles, and LCS COO Officer Travis Marshall.
Back to School
Coles’ story is just one example of LCS and various City of Lynchburg departments working together to keep families safe. When school reopened, Lynchburg firefighters and police officers met students at their bus stops as an extra precaution to ensure they could board buses safely.
“Seeing how the firefighters and police officers stepped in to make students feel safe and comfortable returning to school was awesome,” said LCS Interim Director of Transportation Shelley Harmon. “Safety is our number one priority. It was encouraging to see everyone working together for our kids.”
Winter Storm Fern brought serious challenges, but the LCS community made it through together, thanks to the teamwork, flexibility, and patience demonstrated by students, staff, families, and community members.
