What factors lead to school bus cancellations?

Rapidly changing weather conditions leave motorists at odds with Mother Nature, which is why the Simcoe County Bus Consortium (SCSTC) says it follows strict protocols when determining when to cancel school buses.

The consortium says halting school buses prevents unnecessary risks when there is inclement weather or unsafe road conditions.

So the question is, will the buses be cancelled this week with a significant winter storm in the forecast?

• RELATED: Wicked winter storm coming to town: Here's when and where to expect it

The SCSTC says the process begins at 5:30 a.m. with a conference call between the consortium and school vehicle operators.

During the call, SCSTC says various factors are considered, including assessing road conditions, current and forecasted weather information, visibility, and precipitation in the form of snow accumulation and freezing rain.

The SCSTC also confirms if snow plows have been out on the roads and gathers additional information on road conditions from available local services and resources.

Before the decision is ultimately made, school vehicle operator's employees travel the roads to assess conditions.

Based on these factors, the SCSTC and school vehicle operators may decide to cancel school buses for a specific weather zone, multiple weather zones, or all of Simcoe County.

Once the decision is final to put the brakes on school buses, the Simcoe County District School Board gets to work notifying everyone involved.

The latest school bus cancellations across Simcoe Muskoka and surrounding areas is available here.