You can sense it every time you step outside. There's a nip in the air, the wind is slightly colder, your lips become chapped and you can see your breath. Winter is right around the corner. In many places of the country, winter means snow and ice. For students and parents of students, that means checking the news every morning and calling school hotlines every time it snows. In today's technological age, it should be easier for families to find out all the information they need about school closings and delays, but it isn't always the case.

Schools don't always contact their local news outlets right away. Sometimes, students won't find out about a closing until it's too late. Calling the hotline can work, but if everyone does that at once, getting through can be a nightmare. That's why schools should implement a text message alert system as a way to quickly inform individuals of all relevant information pertaining to its schedule on snow days.

By implementing this SMS solution, schools can reach out to everyone that needs closing information quickly without tying up phone lines or entrusting news stations to report their closing in a timely manner. Imagine being a parent, waking up and instantly receiving a text message stating that their child's school will be closed. That saves a tremendous amount of time and allows individuals to better plan their schedules accordingly.

For schools, this can also save both time and money because there won't be the need to set up a hotline to answer any inquiring calls. The superintendent's secretary won't be bombarded with calls asking if she knows whether or not the school will be closed. One text message is all it will take to pass along this important information from the school to those that need it.

Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools needed to orchestrate this sort of text message alert service. By using these tools to design effective text messages, schools will be prepared for every winter storm.