How many snow days do schools get?
Short answer: there is no fixed number of snow days. Each state sets a minimum number of school days or hours, often 180 days, and each district builds its calendar around it. Snow days come out of whatever extra time is left. Once that runs out, the days are usually made up, often at the end of the year.
By Muhammad Shakeel. Published 31 October 2026. Updated 1 November 2026. State rules change; check your district’s calendar for this year.
How snow days work
- The state sets a minimum. Most states require about 180 days, a minimum number of hours, or both.
- Districts add a cushion. Many calendars include more time than the minimum, so a few closures cost nothing. Some list "snow make-up days" on the calendar in advance.
- Some closures are forgiven. A few states, like Michigan, forgive a set number of days. Others, like Ohio, count hours, so a closure only matters if the school falls below its minimum.
- Remote days can replace snow days. In some states, like New York, a district can teach online instead of closing, and the day counts.
- After that, days are made up. Usually by adding days in June, or by using a scheduled holiday or teacher day.
Snow day rules in four states
This guide covers four states: Michigan, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. The rule for your school can also depend on your district’s contract and calendar.
| State | Rule and source |
|---|---|
| Michigan | At least 180 days and 1,098 hours a year. Up to 6 days canceled for weather or other emergencies are forgiven; the State Superintendent can forgive up to 3 more with a waiver. Beyond that, districts make up the time, usually in June.Source: Michigan Department of Education |
| Ohio | No set number of snow days ("calamity days" were replaced by hours). Schools must provide at least 910 hours for full-day kindergarten through grade 6 and 1,001 hours for grades 7 to 12. Closures only have to be made up if a school drops below its minimum. Qualifying schools must adopt an online makeup plan under section 3313.482, for up to the equivalent of three school days.Source: Ohio Revised Code 3313.48 (minimum hours); 3313.482 (online makeup hours) |
| New York | At least 180 days and 900 hours (grades K to 6) or 990 hours (grades 7 to 12). On an emergency closure day, a district may switch to remote instruction instead, and that day counts toward both minimums. Districts are not required to do this.Source: NY State Education Department |
| Pennsylvania | Since the 2023-24 school year (Act 56 of 2023), schools can meet either 180 days or the hours equivalent: 900 hours for full-day kindergarten to grade 6 and 990 for grades 7 to 12. Counting hours can leave more room for closures.Source: PA Department of Education |
States sometimes forgive extra days after an unusual winter. In May 2026, for example, Michigan passed a law forgiving several March storm days for schools in its northern counties (Office of the Governor). Do not count on it: WDIV notes that the usual result of running out is a longer school year.
Do schools have to make up snow days?
Only when closures take the school below the state minimum. A school with a cushion in its calendar may not make up anything for the first few closures. After that, expect extra days in June, a shorter break, or, where the state allows it, remote learning days instead of closures.
Do colleges have snow days?
Yes, but less often. Colleges are not bound by the same K-12 day counts, many students live on or near campus, and many classes can move online for a day. Colleges usually close only for severe storms, ice or dangerous cold, and each one sets its own rules. That is why our calculator gives colleges a lower closure estimate.
Do teachers get paid for snow days?
It depends on the teacher’s contract. Teachers are usually paid for a set number of contract days, so a snow day that is later made up is typically worked on another date, not lost. Hourly staff, such as some bus drivers and aides, may be paid differently. The district’s contract or the local union has the exact answer.
Will tomorrow be a snow day?
Late in the winter, districts that have used up their snow days sometimes push harder to stay open, or switch to remote days. Our snow day calculator cannot see how many days your district has left, but it can show the chance of a closure or delay from the National Weather Service forecast. To understand what closes schools, read how much snow it takes and how cold it has to be.