How cold does it have to be to cancel school?
Short answer: there is no national rule. The district examples below include morning wind chill thresholds from -15°F to -40°F, and some also consider air temperature. These are examples, not a rule for your school. Check your district's policy and announcement.
By Muhammad Shakeel. Published 31 October 2026. Updated 1 November 2026. District rules change; always check your own district.
To check your location, use the snow day calculator. It also works as a cold day calculator: forecast wind chill can raise the estimated closure risk even when no snow is expected. The district examples below explain why there is no single temperature for every school.
Wind chill and air temperature both matter
Districts look at the wind chill: how cold it feels on bare skin once the wind is counted. At 0°F with a 15 mph wind, the wind chill is about -19°F, and the National Weather Service says exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes at that level. Colder still, frostbite can set in within 10 minutes, then 5. Some districts also set an air-temperature threshold, as the examples below show.
Several of the cited policies look at the forecast for 6 to 7 am, when buses run and kids walk to stops, rather than the daily low. Warming by the school commute can affect a decision, but does not guarantee schools will open.
Real cold-weather rules from school districts
These are published thresholds, with where each one was reported. They show how much districts differ, even close together.
| District | Rule and source |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis Public Schools, MN | Considers an e-learning day if the wind chill forecast for the next morning is -35°F or colder (around 6:30 am, winds of 5 to 10 mph).Source: MPR News, Jan 2023 |
| Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, MN | Cancels if the 6 am NWS forecast shows an air temperature below -25°F or a wind chill below -35°F.Source: MPR News, Jan 2023 |
| NRHEG Public Schools, MN | Considers a delay or closing when the NWS projects a 6:30 am wind chill of -35°F to -40°F, with frostbite possible in 5 to 10 minutes.Source: District website |
| Berrien County districts, MI | Close when the wind chill reaches -20°F or below, according to the Coloma superintendent.Source: The Manchester Mirror, Jan 2025 |
| Middletown City Schools, OH | Closes when the temperature or wind chill is below about -20°F to -25°F. Decides by 5 am.Source: District website |
| Cleveland Metropolitan School District, OH | Lists a wind chill of -15°F or colder among its snow day criteria.Source: News 5 Cleveland |
| Beech Grove Schools, IN | A wind chill of -19°F or below at 7 am means a 2-hour delay; if it is expected at 9 am, officials consider closing.Source: WISH-TV, Jan 2022 |
Plenty of districts publish no number at all. Anoka-Hennepin in Minnesota, for example, says it will likely close when the NWS issues a wind chill warning, and Fargo, West Fargo and Moorhead say no single temperature triggers a closure (MPR News).
Why the number changes from place to place
- How used to cold the area is. In Minnesota, -20°F is a normal winter morning. In the South, a hard freeze is rare and often comes with ice, so cold plus slick roads closes schools at far milder temperatures.
- Bus stop waits. Rural students often walk farther and wait longer, so rural districts can be stricter.
- Buses and buildings. Diesel buses can fail to start in extreme cold, and old heating systems can struggle.
- Staff. Superintendents also weigh whether enough teachers and bus drivers can get in safely.
- E-learning. Some districts now switch to a remote learning day instead of a full closure.
Closed, delayed or open?
Cold is often handled with a 2-hour delay instead of a closure, because the sun and a little wind relief can lift the wind chill by mid-morning. Beech Grove in Indiana, above, delays at -19°F at 7 am and only considers closing if that cold is still expected at 9 am. When the cold is forecast to last all morning, a full closure is more likely.
How our calculator counts cold
The snow day calculator reads the lowest wind chill the National Weather Service forecasts before 8 am at your location. Cold can raise the closure chance on its own, even with no snow. The wind chill that gives about an even chance from cold alone depends on how used to winter your area is. These are model assumptions, not district rules:
| Area | Wind chill for about a 50% closure chance from cold alone |
|---|---|
| Snow is rare here | 10°F |
| Some snow most winters | -5°F |
| Snow every winter | -20°F |
| Snow belt: schools are well prepared | -30°F |
Delays start at milder wind chills than closures. How it works explains the full method.
Can the calculator confirm a cold day?
No. It estimates the weather risk, but it cannot see a district's decision, the condition of its buses or problems with building heat. Enter your US school ZIP code, check the morning wind chill shown in the result, and read the closure and late start percentages separately. Check the district's alert service for confirmation.
Cold and snow can add to the same disruption. For snowfall thresholds and bus-route conditions, read how much snow it takes to cancel school.
What to do on a very cold school morning
- Check your district’s website, app or texts first. Many decide by about 5 to 6 am.
- Dress in layers, with a hat, gloves and a scarf or face cover, even for a short wait.
- Keep bus stop waits short: leave home when the bus is close, if your district has a bus tracker.
- If you are concerned about your child's trip to school, contact the school and check its attendance policy. Do not assume an absence will be excused.
Want a number for tomorrow? Enter your ZIP code in the snow day calculator. For snow instead of cold, read how much snow it takes to cancel school.