Snow days in Indiana
Indiana schools need 180 instructional days (WFYI), and since a 2022 law, asynchronous virtual days are limited to three a year unless they meet live-instruction standards (Indiana Code 20-30-2-2.7 (2022)). The calculator treats Indiana as a state that gets snow every winter.
By Muhammad Shakeel. Updated 3 November 2026 for the 2026-27 school year. School rules and district plans change; check your district.
Winter weather that closes Indiana schools
- Ice. NWS Indianapolis issues an Ice Storm Warning for a quarter inch or more of ice (NWS Indianapolis). NWS Indianapolis keeps a history of damaging central Indiana ice storms, including one in January 2005 (NWS Indianapolis).
- Lake-effect snow in the northwest. In late January 2026, lake-effect bands left up to 10 to 11 inches in Porter County (NWS Chicago).
How many snow days do Indiana schools get?
Schools need 180 instructional days (WFYI). Since 2022, a school can use only three virtual instruction days a year that do not meet live, teacher-directed standards, and can apply for a waiver in extraordinary circumstances (Indiana Code 20-30-2-2.7 (2022)).
What Indiana districts have published
Indianapolis Public Schools says air temperatures forecast significantly below zero for 7 am could trigger a two-hour delay, and schools could close if they are not expected to improve by 9 am (Indianapolis Public Schools). Beech Grove uses a wind chill of -19°F or below at 7 am for a two-hour delay (WISH-TV, Jan 2022).
How the calculator treats Indiana
The calculator reads the National Weather Service forecast for the exact point you enter, so the snow, ice, wind chill and alerts are local. What changes by state is how much of each it takes to raise the estimate:
Level 3 of 4: Snow every winter
For a suburban public school in Indiana, any one of these gives the model about an even chance of a closure on its own:
- 5 in of snow from 6 pm to 8 am (snow between 4 and 8 am counts extra)
- 0.1 in of ice from freezing rain, from the evening before to the end of the school day
- a wind chill of -20°F between midnight and 8 am
Places whose forecast grid point is above 1,800 m (about 5,900 ft) move up one level. These are model assumptions, not district rules. How the snow levels work.
Indiana uses one level statewide. Ice forecast for your ZIP code is counted, and an NWS Ice Storm Warning adds weight.
Before you rely on the number
The percentage is an estimate from the weather forecast, not an official closure notice. It cannot see road conditions, staffing, buses or how many snow days your district has left, and it does not know a decision that has already been announced. Read how accurate the estimate is and what it leaves out.
Questions and answers
How many eLearning days can Indiana schools use?
A 2022 law limits asynchronous virtual days to three a year. Days that meet live, teacher-directed standards are not limited the same way, and schools can apply for a waiver (Indiana Code 20-30-2-2.7 (2022)).
How cold does it have to be for a delay in Indianapolis?
Indianapolis Public Schools says air temperatures forecast significantly below zero for 7 am could trigger a two-hour delay, and a closure if they are not expected to improve by 9 am (Indianapolis Public Schools).
Will school be closed tomorrow in Indiana?
Only your district can say. The snow day calculator estimates the chance of a closure or late start from the National Weather Service forecast for your school's ZIP code, but it does not know announced decisions. Check your district's website, app or texts.
More: how much snow it takes to cancel school, how cold it has to be, and snow day rules in other states.