An email alert arrived at 5:55 am and the robocall just came in at 6:02 am – no school in Lowell on Tuesday. Not a flake has fallen yet, so this is a prospective cancellation but also a wise one. Several years ago school was held in the face of a forecast of an all day snowstorm and getting the children home safely was a nightmare. Buses clogged the afternoon streets blocking the way of the plows. Some kids didn’t make it home until nearly 7 pm that time. Because Lowell has staggered start and dismissal times of its schools, mostly to make maximum use of its buses (each does three runs both morning and afternoon), it’s nearly impossible to do a suburban-style early dismissal in such weather conditions. From the looks of the forecast, there won’t be any school tomorrow, either.