"Skinner's Sense of Snow" was written by Tim Long. Lance Kramer is the director of the episode. The episode's story came from Long. One time while he was a child, a blizzard hit Exeter, Ontario. He was sad when he learned that every school was closed except for the one he went to. Long was also stuck in the school with his teachers because of snow. He said that "It was hellish, but then became a sweet thing". He also said that many dads used snowmobiles to give them food while inside the school. Matt Selman, a writer for the show, got the idea for the Simpson family to go to Cirque du Purée. This idea became the beginning of the episode's story.