Lynchburg, VA - It didn't take long for signs of the arctic blast to start showing up in our area. The Hollins Mill Dam in Lynchburg was very slow-moving Friday. Many school systems shut down today because of the cold weather.

That left some parents scrambling to find childcare. Officials didn't want kids freezing at the bus stops and after standing outside Friday, that certainly makes sense -- it's cold. But students up north brave far worse elements and still go to class, so we asked parents what they think of the decision.

In Ohio, children battle blowing snow at the bus stop. In New York, kids bundle up like Eskimos. And then there's us. No snow in sight, but this playground is closed for the day.

Karen Keesee, Parent, Madison Heights - "I questioned it, but again, I'm not in that position to have to make a decision."

School officials were worried about children sitting at the bus stop in below freezing temps. A concern shared by parents and physicians.

Dr. Thomas Eppes, Medical Society of Virginia - "They don't take care of themselves quite like you or I would. Or, when they get a little hot, the gloves are shed, the hat's gone."

Kim Hunnicutt, Amherst County Teacher and Parent - "A lot of children really don't have the coats and the gloves and the hats that they need to stand outside in this type of weather."

Although it's what might be best for children. It can be a pain for parents who work full time and who have to scramble to find child care.

Carolyn Chilton, Monroe - "It's hard, it's hard if you don't have someone or another spouse."

Keesee - "You have to have either Plan A, Plan B and often Plan C even for sick days."

And when those back-up plans backfire, there's always the YMCA's fun days which offer supervised care for school age kids.

Jay Parker, Downtown YMCA Director - "When we knew that they were getting out a five o'clock, we just sprang into action we knew we were going to have a fun day."

When the temperatures in the single digits outside, inside a warm swimming pool isn't a bad place to be.

This weather reminds our Margret Clevenstine a little of her home state of Minnesota. Just to show you how cold it is there, her dad sent a picture of his car's thermometer Friday morning -- that's minus 40 degrees!

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