Having a (snow) ball

Columbia County children out of school made the most if it by heading outdoors to enjoy the snowy winter weather Monday.

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The Columbia County amphitheater was the site for lots of snow day sledding fun.

Barbara Sprow, her husband, Pat, and daughter, Kathleen, walked through the woods from their Northwoods subdivision home to enjoy sledding down the snow-covered hills near the pond.

"It's great," Sprow said, as Kathleen slid on a plastic Buffalo Bills tray. "My husband is from Buffalo, (N.Y.), so this is a real treat for him."

They planned to sled until they got too cold, then head home for hot chocolate. But the Sprows planned to return after dark to sled by flashlight.

Luckily, when Melissa Becker and her family moved into their Northwoods home, they found a sled in the attic.

"Yeah, baby," her husband, Jeff, said as he rode the sled face-down with his arms out like he was flying with his son, Alex, on his back.

The Beckers had a snow day plan: play until its too cold, then warm up at home.

"I've already got chili in the crock pot for tonight," Becker said.

Emma Catherine Glass, 4, and her cousin Lilly Lewis, 3, enjoyed the steep hills at the amphitheater.

Both girls squealed with delight as their sled coasted down the hill.

"They are having a great time," said Emma Catherine's mother, Brandi Glass, who was bundled up watching the girls from the bottom of the hill. "They are excited."

The snow that fell late Sunday and early Monday turned into ice later in the day, creating hazardous conditions on area roads that led to cancellation of schools and closure of government offices Monday and Tuesday.

Emergency officials reported dozens of traffic crashes and disabled vehicles because of the icy roads, and traffic crews spent much of the early morning hours Monday scraping snow from roads and putting sand on bridges.