The Simpson family attends Cirque du Puree, a snooty French circus. During the show, a massive snow storm strikes Springfield, blanketing the entire town under piles of snow. The next morning, Bart and Lisa are horrified to learn that Springfield Elementary is still in session. After a treacherous bus ride to school and a day spent watching "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't But Then Was," the students and a cheery Principal Skinner find that they have been snowed in. Under Skinner's martial law, the students are forced to suffer through a night at school. Despite Homer and Flanders' best efforts to save the kids from their slow torture, Bart and the rest manage to make their unbearable situation a little more livable by capturing Skinner and taking over the school. As de facto leader, Bart runs the school with an iron fist until Homer and Flanders, with a little help from sodium chloride, save the day.
