School closing rules by district
A free data set of 77 published school closing rules from districts in 35 states: the wind chill, temperature and snow thresholds they use, when they check the forecast, and when they decide. Every row links its source.
By Muhammad Shakeel. Published 3 November 2026. Every source checked 3 November 2026. Districts change their rules; always check your own district.
Download the CSV 77 rows, free under CC BY 4.0. Also on GitHub and Zenodo.
What the rules show
- Most cold rules sit between -20°F and -35°F wind chill. 22 of the 35 published wind chill thresholds fall in that band, and the median is -22°F. The mildest is 10°F (West Virginia) and the coldest -40°F (Iowa and Minnesota).
- Decisions come early. Of the 42 districts that give a morning deadline, 41 aim to decide by 6 am. Road checks often start between 3 and 5 am.
- Delays are common. 45 of the 77 rules mention a delay or late start, often 2 hours, so the sun can lift the wind chill before buses run.
- Remote days are spreading. 15 rules name an e-learning, virtual or other remote day as an option instead of a full closure.
- Southern districts rarely publish a temperature. Only 3 of the 25 districts here from the South, the mid-Atlantic and the southern Plains name one. Most publish when they check the roads and when they decide instead, and several have staff out checking roads or driving bus routes from 3 am.
- Few districts publish a snow amount. Most judge roads, ice and timing instead. Aurora, Colorado, says 5 inches or less usually means no delay; Cleveland lists 5 to 10 inches on the ground.
To see how these rules play out for your school tomorrow, use the snow day calculator. It reads the National Weather Service forecast for your ZIP code, including the morning wind chill.
The data
Sorted by state, then district. Scroll sideways on a small screen.
| District | Threshold | Timing | Rule and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa City SchoolsAlabama | None published | Decides: 5:30 am | Close, 1- or 2-hour delay, or early dismissal. Aims to decide on a weather closing by 5:30 am; a delay is either one or two hours.Source: District website, Sep 2023 |
| Anchorage School DistrictAlaska | None published | Decides: 5:30 am | Close or delay. The superintendent decides on any weather change to normal operations and tells the public by 5:30 am.Source: District website |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough School DistrictAlaska | None published | Checks: Night before or early morning Decides: 5:15 am (9 pm if decided the night before) | Close or 1.5-hour delayed start. Does not close schools for cold alone; the superintendent decides by 5:15 am, and a delayed start runs morning buses 1.5 hours late.Source: District website |
| Springdale Public SchoolsArkansas | None published | Checks: 3 am road test Decides: 5:30 am | Close. Administrators test road conditions at 3 am, aiming for a final decision by 5:30 am.Source: KNWA/KFTA, Jan 2024 |
| Aurora Public SchoolsColorado | Snow: 5 in or less usually means no delay or closure | Checks: 3 am Decides: 4:30 am recommendation | Close or delayed start. The review starts at 3 am and the superintendent gets a recommendation by 4:30 am; as a general rule, 5 inches of snow or less does not lead to a delay or closure.Source: District website |
| Cherry Creek School DistrictColorado | None published | Checks: Before 4:30 am Decides: 5:30 am | Close or delayed start. Transportation and facilities staff report before 4:30 am, and the superintendent makes the final call by 5:30 am.Source: District website |
| Douglas County School DistrictColorado | None published | Decides: 5 am | Close or delay. Decides on weather delays and closures by 5 am.Source: District website |
| Hartford Public SchoolsConnecticut | None published | Decides: 5:15 to 5:45 am | Close, delay or early dismissal. Closings are usually announced between 5:15 and 5:45 am, and schools close whenever the city declares an emergency parking ban.Source: District website, Oct 2026 |
| DC Public SchoolsDistrict of Columbia | None published | Decides: 5 am | Close or 2-hour delay. Decides no later than 5 am on the day, weighing temperature, wind chill, snow, ice, roads and transit.Source: District website, Mar 2017 |
| Cobb County School DistrictGeorgia | None published | Checks: 3:30 to 4 am bus route road test Decides: 5:30 am | Close. The transportation director starts testing bus-route roads at 3:30 to 4 am, and the decision is made by 5:30 am; ice, timing, temperature and wind chill are factors, with no thresholds given.Source: District website |
| Fulton County SchoolsGeorgia | None published | Decides: 5:30 am | Close. Decides no later than 5:30 am; factors include when snow or ice starts and how much, temperature, wind chill, and whether diesel buses will start in extreme cold.Source: District website, Jun 2026 |
| Gwinnett County Public SchoolsGeorgia | None published | Decides: 6 am | Digital learning day or close. In bad weather, usually announces a Digital Learning Day (remote) or a full-day cancellation by 6 am.Source: District website, Jul 2025 |
| Glenview School District 34Illinois | Wind chill -30°FAir -15°F | Decides: Before 6 am | Close (open under a Cold Weather Advisory). Closes under an NWS Extreme Cold Warning (wind chill -30°F or colder with 10 mph winds, or air temperature -15°F or lower) but stays open under a Cold Weather Advisory.Source: District website |
| Naperville Community Unit School District 203Illinois | None published | Decides: Usually by 6 am | Close or e-learning day. May close or switch to an e-learning day for weather, usually telling families by 6 am; e-learning days need no make-up day.Source: District website |
| West Northfield School District 31Illinois | Wind chill -30°FAir -15°F | Decides: Before 6 am | Close. Closes under an NWS Extreme Cold Warning, described as a wind chill of -30°F or colder with 10 mph winds, or an air temperature of -15°F.Source: District website |
| Beech Grove City SchoolsIndiana | Wind chill -19°F | Checks: 7 am and 9 am | 2-hour delay or close. 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 |
| Hamilton Southeastern SchoolsIndiana | Wind chill -19°F | Checks: About 6:30 am (first bus pickups) | Delay or close. Follows a -19°F wind chill rule, with attention to elementary bus pickups at about 6:30 am.Source: WISH-TV, Jan 2022 |
| Indianapolis Public SchoolsIndiana | Air 0°F | Checks: By 4:45 am; 7 am and 9 am forecasts Decides: Before 6 am | 2-hour delay or close. May delay 2 hours if the 7 am air temperature is forecast well below 0°F or wind chills near the 10-minute frostbite level, and considers canceling if conditions are not expected to improve by 9 am.Source: District website |
| M.S.D. of Wayne TownshipIndiana | Wind chill -19°FAir -10°F | Checks: 7 am and 9 am NOAA forecast Decides: 6 am | 2-hour delay or close. Considers a 2-hour delay if NOAA predicts a 7 am wind chill of -19°F or below or an air temperature of -10°F or below, and considers closing if it should stay that cold at 9 am.Source: District website |
| Cedar Rapids Community School DistrictIowa | Wind chill -30°FAir -15°F | Decides: 5:30 am | Delay or close. Lists a -30°F wind chill or -15°F air temperature as conditions that can lead to a delay or cancellation, and aims to tell families by 5:30 am.Source: KCRG, Jan 2022 |
| Johnston Community School DistrictIowa | Wind chill -40°FAir -25°F | Checks: 6 am NWS forecast | Close. May cancel if the NWS predicts an air temperature of -25°F or a wind chill of -40°F at 6 am on the school day.Source: Des Moines Register via Yahoo News, Jan 2026 |
| West Des Moines Community SchoolsIowa | Wind chill -30°F | Decides: 5:45 am | Delay or close. Cancels or delays when the area wind chill reaches -30°F, normally deciding by 5:45 am.Source: Des Moines Register via Yahoo News, Jan 2026 |
| Shawnee Mission School DistrictKansas | None published | Decides: The evening before, in time for the 10 pm news | Close or 2-hour delay. When possible, decides the evening before; Plan C is a 2-hour delay and Plans A and B close schools.Source: District website |
| Fayette County Public Schools (Lexington)Kentucky | Wind chill -10°FAir 0°F | Not stated | Remote (NTI) day, close or delay. Has no fixed cutoff, but starts considering a remote NTI day, cancellation or delay when temperatures are forecast below 0°F or an NWS wind chill advisory (wind chills of -10°F to -24°F) is issued.Source: District website, Oct 2026 |
| Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville)Kentucky | None published | Decides: 5 am | Remote (NTI) day instead of closing. Said in January 2024 it would use remote NTI days when possible instead of canceling school, with weather decisions generally announced by 5 am.Source: Spectrum News 1, Jan 2024 |
| Baltimore County Public SchoolsMaryland | None published | Not stated | Close, then virtual days. Uses three traditional snow days; every inclement weather day after that is a virtual day on a 2-hour delay schedule.Source: WMAR-2 News, Jan 2026 |
| Montgomery County Public SchoolsMaryland | None published | Checks: NWS forecast update by 4:30 am Decides: 7 pm the evening before, or 5 am | Close, delay, early release or virtual day. Announces evening decisions by 7 pm and morning decisions by 5 am, decides any early release by 10:30 am, and can hold a virtual day when an event is predictable or lasts several days.Source: District website |
| Ann Arbor Public SchoolsMichigan | Wind chill -20°FAir -20°F | Not stated | Close. Schools close when the temperature and/or wind chill is below -20°F.Source: District website |
| Berrien County districtsMichigan | Wind chill -20°F | Not stated | Close. Close when the wind chill reaches -20°F or below, according to the Coloma superintendent.Source: The Manchester Mirror (Bridge Michigan), Jan 2025 |
| Gwinn Area Community SchoolsMichigan | Wind chill -25°F | Not stated | Close. The superintendent said the district's cold threshold is a wind chill of 25 to 30 below zero.Source: WLUC TV6, Jan 2024 |
| Howell Public SchoolsMichigan | Wind chill -20°F | Checks: Forecast for bus stop and walking times Decides: 5:30 am | Close. Cancels if the forecast sustained wind chill is -20°F or colder while students wait for buses or walk, and aims to cancel no later than 5:30 am.Source: District website |
| Jackson Public SchoolsMichigan | Wind chill -20°F | Checks: Early morning Decides: About 5:30 am | Close. Sustained wind chills around -20°F are typically the threshold for canceling classes, with families told by about 5:30 am (also reported for Grand Ledge and Waverly).Source: WKAR, Jan 2026 |
| Ypsilanti Community SchoolsMichigan | None published | Decides: About 5:30 am | Close. Makes its snow day decision around 5:30 am.Source: The Manchester Mirror (Bridge Michigan), Jan 2025 |
| Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School DistrictMinnesota | Wind chill -35°FAir -25°F | Checks: 6 am NWS forecast | Close. 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 |
| Minneapolis Public SchoolsMinnesota | Wind chill -35°F | Checks: 6:30 am forecast | E-learning day. 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 |
| NRHEG Public SchoolsMinnesota | Wind chill -35°F | Checks: 6:30 am NWS forecast Decides: 5:45 am | Delay or close. 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 |
| Robbinsdale Area SchoolsMinnesota | None published | Decides: 9:30 pm the night before (cold); 5:30 am (snow or ice) | Close or e-learning. Usually decides extreme-cold closings by 9:30 pm the evening before, and snow or ice closings by 5:30 am the same day.Source: District website, Jul 2025 |
| Saint Paul Public SchoolsMinnesota | Wind chill -35°F | Checks: 6 am forecast | E-learning or non-instructional day. May call an e-learning or non-instructional day when wind chills are forecast to be -35°F or colder at 6 am.Source: District website |
| St. Cloud Area School District 742Minnesota | Wind chill -35°FAir -35°F | Checks: NWS forecast; 9:30 am outlook | Close, or 2-hour delay. May close when the NWS forecasts -35°F air temperature or wind chill, and considers a 2-hour delay if it should rise above -35°F by 9:30 am.Source: MPR News via Inforum, Jan 2023 |
| Wayzata Public SchoolsMinnesota | Wind chill -40°F | Decides: 5:30 am | Close, or 2-hour late start when uncertain. The superintendent may close school when the wind chill is -40°F or colder for a substantial period, deciding by 5:30 am whenever possible.Source: District board policy 804-R, Mar 2017 |
| Pass Christian Public School DistrictMississippi | None published | Decides: 5 am | Close, or 1- or 2-hour delay. Decides on a closing or delay by 5 am and rarely decides the day before unless there is a mandatory evacuation or county emergency management advises it.Source: District website, Aug 2025 |
| Columbia Public SchoolsMissouri | None published | Decides: 6 am | Close or delayed start. Tries to announce a cancellation or late start by 6 am; lists temperature and wind chill as factors without a threshold.Source: ABC 17 News, Jan 2024 |
| Jefferson City School DistrictMissouri | None published | Checks: 3 to 4 am road checks | Close. Staff are often out checking roads by 3 or 4 am, and the district decides as early as it can.Source: ABC 17 News, Jan 2024 |
| Billings Public SchoolsMontana | Air -30°F | Decides: The day before | Close. The superintendent said closing becomes likely as temperatures approach -30°F, when diesel fuel gels in the buses.Source: KTVQ, Dec 2022 |
| Millard Public SchoolsNebraska | None published | Decides: The day before when possible | 2-hour late start, remote learning or close. Tries to make the call the day before; on a weather late start, every school starts two hours later than usual.Source: District website |
| Cherry Hill Public SchoolsNew Jersey | None published | Decides: 5:30 am | Close or 2-hour delay. The superintendent decides by 5:30 am or earlier, weighing roads, snow and ice, temperature, wind chill and what nearby districts do.Source: District website |
| Hornell City School DistrictNew York | Wind chill -25°FAir -25°F | Not stated | Delay or close. Citing New York State Education Department guidance, persistent wind chills or temperatures of -25°F may delay or close school.Source: District website, Feb 2023 |
| Waterville Central School DistrictNew York | Wind chill -25°F | Decides: 6 am | Delay or close. Persistent wind chills of -25°F or colder may delay or close school, citing New York Statewide School Health Services Center guidance; the district aims to announce by 6 am.Source: District website |
| Guilford County SchoolsNorth Carolina | None published | Checks: 3 to 4:30 am route drive | Remote day, close or delay. Transportation supervisors drive every bus route between 3 and 4:30 am; if a route is not safe for an SUV, buses do not run.Source: WFDD via WHQR, Dec 2025 |
| Bismarck Public SchoolsNorth Dakota | None published | Checks: 4 am road check Decides: 6 am | Close. Staff drive the roads at 4 am checking visibility, ice and drifting snow; school is often called off at 6 am the same morning.Source: KFYR-TV, Apr 2023 |
| Cincinnati Public SchoolsOhio | None published | Decides: Usually by 5 am | Close or 2-hour delay. May close for snow or extreme cold or heat; the superintendent usually decides by 5 am.Source: District website |
| Cleveland Metropolitan School DistrictOhio | Wind chill -15°FSnow: 5 to 10 in on the ground, or 3 in or more overnight | Not stated | Close. Its snow day criteria include a wind chill of -15°F or colder, 5 to 10 inches of snow on the ground, or 3 or more inches overnight on top of existing snow, along with ice and visibility.Source: News 5 Cleveland, Jan 2019 |
| Mason City SchoolsOhio | Wind chill -20°FAir -20°F | Not stated | Close. Closes when the temperature and/or wind chill is below -20°F to -25°F.Source: District website |
| Middletown City SchoolsOhio | Wind chill -20°FAir -20°F | Decides: 5 am | Close. Closes when the temperature or wind chill is below about -20°F to -25°F, and decides by 5 am.Source: District website |
| Olentangy Local SchoolsOhio | Wind chill -15°F | Checks: Around 4 am Decides: 5:15 to 5:30 am | Close or 2-hour delay. Considers canceling if the local temperature, counting wind chill, is lower than -15°F; the superintendent usually decides between 5:15 and 5:30 am.Source: District website |
| Upper Arlington City SchoolsOhio | Wind chill -22°F | Decides: Early morning | Close (2-hour delays used sparingly). Generally considers canceling when the sustained wind chill is around -22°F.Source: District website |
| Tulsa Public SchoolsOklahoma | None published | Decides: 10 pm the night before when possible, always by 5 am | Close or delayed start. Tries to announce by 10 pm the night before and always by 5 am; if nothing is announced by 5 am, school is open.Source: District website |
| Connellsville Area School DistrictPennsylvania | Wind chill -10°FAir 0°F | Checks: 4 to 5 am road checks | Delay or close. Considers a delay or closing at a wind chill of -10°F to -15°F or an air temperature below 0°F, after road checks between 4 and 5 am.Source: District website |
| Pine-Richland School DistrictPennsylvania | Wind chill -10°F | Checks: Morning bus pickup time | Delay, or close if the advisory lasts all day. An NWS Wind Chill Advisory (-10°F or lower in Allegheny County) during morning pickup means a delay if temperatures will rise, and a possible closure if it lasts all day.Source: District website |
| Pittsburgh Public SchoolsPennsylvania | None published | Checks: 3:30 am Decides: 5:30 am (10 pm if decided the night before) | 2-hour delay or close; remote days after the first two snow days. Aims to decide on a 2-hour delay or closure by 5:30 am; after two traditional snow days, canceled days become remote learning days.Source: District website |
| Greenville County SchoolsSouth Carolina | None published | Checks: About 50 staff drive bus routes before dawn Decides: As late as 5 am | E-learning day, close or delay. About 50 staff drive the county's bus routes and report on the roads; the call can come as late as 5 am on the day.Source: WSPA via Yahoo News, Jan 2026 |
| Sioux Falls School DistrictSouth Dakota | Wind chill -30°F | Decides: Night before when possible, otherwise before 7 am | Close or late start. A -30°F wind chill will most likely close school, according to the assistant superintendent; this is a guideline, not formal policy.Source: KELOLAND News, Dec 2022 |
| Metro Nashville Public SchoolsTennessee | None published | Checks: Travel conditions across the county Decides: 5:30 am | Delay or close. Staff check travel conditions across Davidson County, and the district aims to tell families of a delay or closing by 5:30 am; with no notice, school runs normally.Source: District website, Feb 2026 |
| Austin ISDTexas | None published | Checks: 4 pm meteorologist briefing the day before Decides: 8 pm the night before | Close or delay. Leaders get a meteorologist briefing around 4 pm, meet staff around 6 pm, and try to decide by 8 pm the night before.Source: Austin American-Statesman, Jan 2026 |
| Dallas ISDTexas | None published | Checks: Early-morning drive of streets near schools Decides: 6 am | Close. Staff drive the streets near schools early in the morning, and the decision to open or close is made by 6 am; classes are not held if buses cannot run safely.Source: Dallas ISD The Hub, Nov 2022 |
| Davis School DistrictUtah | None published | Checks: Early morning Decides: Before buses leave | Close, 2-hour delay or remote learning day. Decides early in the morning, before buses leave, between a closure, a 2-hour delay (buses also run two hours late) or a remote learning day; a closed day must be made up under state law.Source: District website |
| Essex Westford School DistrictVermont | None published | Checks: Evening before Decides: 8 pm the night before, or 5:30 am | Close. Tries to decide by 8 pm the night before; otherwise decides by 5:30 am and tells families by 6 am.Source: District website, Nov 2025 |
| South Burlington School DistrictVermont | Wind chill -15°F | Checks: Evening before or early morning Decides: 5:15 am | Close or 2-hour delay. May close when the wind chill stays at -15°F or colder for a sustained period; the final deadline for a decision is 5:15 am.Source: District website |
| Fairfax County Public SchoolsVirginia | None published | Checks: Morning forecast when uncertain Decides: The evening before, or about 4:30 am | Close or delay. Tries to decide the evening before; when the forecast is uncertain, the superintendent decides on a delay or closing by about 4:30 am.Source: District website |
| Prince William County Public SchoolsVirginia | None published | Decides: The night before, or 4:30 am | Close, delay, early dismissal or virtual day. Usually decides the night before; in uncertain conditions, decides no later than 4:30 am on the day.Source: District website |
| Braxton County SchoolsWest Virginia | Wind chill -5°FAir 0°F | Not stated | Delay. Delays school when the air temperature is below 0°F or the wind chill is -5°F or colder, judged across the county rather than at one spot.Source: District website, Jan 2021 |
| Nicholas County SchoolsWest Virginia | Wind chill 10°FAir 10°F | Checks: Calls overnight and before 5 am Decides: 5 am | Delay or close. Delays or cancels when the school-day air temperature is 10°F or lower or the wind chill is below 10°F; the superintendent decides before 5 am.Source: Lootpress, Dec 2024 |
| Appleton Area School DistrictWisconsin | None published | Checks: Hours students travel to school | Close. The superintendent said the district is most concerned when it will be -30°F or colder during the hours students walk or ride to school (the source does not say whether that is air temperature or wind chill).Source: FOX11 News, Jan 2026 |
| Madison Metropolitan School DistrictWisconsin | None published | Checks: Forecast Decides: 9 pm the night before or 5:30 am | Close. Uses a forecast of -25°F as its baseline for closing (the source does not say whether that is air temperature or wind chill), and tries to decide by 9 pm the night before or 5:30 am.Source: WMTV 15 News, Jan 2025 |
| Middleton-Cross Plains Area School DistrictWisconsin | Wind chill -30°FAir -30°F | Not stated | Close. Considers closing buildings when the temperature or wind chill reaches -30°F.Source: WMTV 15 News, Jan 2025 |
| School District of JanesvilleWisconsin | Wind chill -30°F | Not stated | Delay or close. Considers a delay or cancellation when the sustained wind chill is -30°F to -35°F.Source: WMTV 15 News, Jan 2025 |
| Stevens Point Area Public School DistrictWisconsin | Snow: No set amount | Not stated | Close. Does not use snowfall totals; judges each storm by whether roads, especially rural bus routes, are safe.Source: WSAW, Dec 2025 |
How the data was collected
- What counts. A rule is included only if a district page, board policy or a dated news story quoting the district states something concrete: a temperature or wind chill, a snow amount, a check or decision time, or the action taken. Pages that only say "many factors" are left out.
- Checked at the source. Every row was read on its source page on 3 November 2026. Numbers are only what the source states; where a source gives a range, the threshold column shows the milder end and the rule text keeps the range.
- Sources differ. District pages are the best source. News quotes from a superintendent are guidelines, not formal policy, and older stories may describe rules that have since changed. Undated district pages have no source date.
- Not a complete list. These are districts that publish a rule. Northern districts publish temperature thresholds far more often than southern ones, and many districts publish no rule at all.
- Updates. We recheck every row each school year. If your district's rule is missing or out of date, email us with a link to the page and we will add or correct it.
How to cite or reuse it
Free to use under CC BY 4.0. Please credit "CalculateSnowDay, School closing rules data set" with a link to calculatesnowday.com/school-closing-rules. The CSV has one row per district, a column for each field in the table, the source URL and the date checked.
Shakeel, M. (2026). US school district weather-closing rules [Data set]. CalculateSnowDay. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23931214
The DOI always points to the newest version, archived on Zenodo. The same files, with a README and a citation file, are on GitHub, where you can also open an issue to add or correct a district.
Related: how cold it has to be to cancel school, how much snow it takes, how many snow days schools get and snow days by state.
Questions and answers
How cold does it have to be for schools to close?
There is no national rule. In this data set the published wind chill thresholds run from 10°F to -40°F, with a median of -22°F, and 22 of the 35 fall between -20°F and -35°F. Colder states set lower numbers. Check your own district, and the cold guide explains why the numbers differ.
When do school districts decide to close for weather?
Usually early in the morning. Of the 42 districts here that give a morning deadline, 41 aim to decide by 6 am, and many check roads or the forecast between 3 and 5 am. Several try to decide the evening before when the forecast is clear.
Can I use this data?
Yes. It is free under CC BY 4.0: use it in articles, research or apps, and credit CalculateSnowDay with a link to this page. Each row also names its original source.