Last year about this time, area school superintendents were commenting on the high number of so-called snow days — days when school was canceled because of snow — and blaming it on an unusual winter.

One pointed out there had been snow since Halloween.

If last winter was unusual, what kind of adjective can possibly be used to describe this winter?

Remember, there were snow flurries on Bridge Day, two weeks before Halloween.

And it’s only gotten worse.

Beckley has already received more than 100 inches of snow this winter season, the snowiest on record.

Terra Alta in Preston County has received more than 200 inches.

As of Tuesday, Terra Alta had a snowpack of 44 inches. Davis stood at 38 inches. The snowpack in Richwood exceeded 20 inches.

Predictably, education in West Virginia has been affected. It’s not exactly, “School’s out for the winter,” but not far off.

Many schools in West Virginia, particularly those in the snow belt, have been closed since Feb. 8.

As of Wednesday, Raleigh County students had missed 14 days. Nicholas County students had been out of school a total of 15 days.

And that doesn’t include all the two-hour delays and early dismissals.

It’s safe to say that many counties will be looking at the equivalent of three to four weeks of lost instructional time. After all, it’s still February.

Under West Virginia’s school calendar, there is simply no way most of those days can be recovered. Thus, many, if not all, counties will again fall short of the mandated 180 instructional days for students, some of them well short.

Gov. Joe Manchin has already signed legislation this year that gives counties more flexibility in when they start and end the school year.

It’s a good first step, but more must be done.

While the legislation changes the previous mandate that school start no earlier than Aug. 26 and end no later than June 8, it does not address the 200-day employment term for teachers and other school officials. That means counties simply can’t add days to the school year to make up snow days.

We still believe West Virginia still needs to look at the year-round school concept, which is used elsewhere, including locations in the Mountain State.

Opponents will present a number of arguments, including a disruption of summer vacation plans. But year-round school is structured with breaks. Vacations can still be scheduled.

Winters in West Virginia are historically tough. Some are tougher than others.

We can no longer write off lost instructional time to unusual winters.

State leaders must do whatever it takes to ensure West Virginia students are properly educated and trained to compete in the job markets of today and tomorrow.

And that begins with 180 days of yearly instructional time, at the least.