Many schools have delayed or canceled school because of cold weather in recent days, but administrators have cited different reasons for those decisions.

Some school officials said it's because the buses need to be checked; others said they don't want students out in the cold.

Many school districts issue two-hour delays because often the air temperature is warmer later in the morning – around 9 a.m. – than it is at the normal time kids head out to school.

Some school systems, like Wetzel County, said this is the information they look at: "Wetzel County Schools' transportation director monitors weather services for up-to-date temperatures and wind chill factors. After careful consideration, along with communication among school officials from adjacent counties, the decision is made. This process begins late in the evening and continues into the very early hours of the morning."

But meteorologically speaking, as the sun comes up, the air begins mixing, That, in turn, increases wind speeds during the morning hours.

"After sunrise, maybe in an hour or two, the atmosphere becomes mixed. What happens is, we have light winds, 5-15 miles per hour combined with the cold, after the coldest part of the morning, creates lower wind chills than they do right at sunrise," said Fred McMullen, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.

So while the temperature itself may be warmer by a few degrees, the "feels-like" temperature is actually lower, so students might be being sent out at the coldest part of the day.

"The most important thing is that when we see cold outbreaks coming, or we see a forecast of cold weather, monitor your local conditions and then you know; after an event, gauge feedback from people," McMullen said.