Snow days in Minnesota
In Minnesota, cold can close schools as well as snow. Districts that adopt an e-learning plan can use up to five e-learning days a year instead of closing, and each counts as a day of instruction (Minn. Stat. 120A.414). The calculator puts Minnesota in its snowiest level.
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 Minnesota schools
- Extreme cold. NWS Twin Cities issues an Extreme Cold Warning at -35°F for the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota and -40°F for northern and most of central Minnesota (NWS Twin Cities).
- Blizzards. A blizzard means visibility under a quarter mile for several hours from falling or blowing snow with wind of at least 35 mph (NWS Twin Cities). On December 28, 2025, gusts of 40 to 50 mph brought whiteout conditions across much of the state (NWS Twin Cities).
How many snow days do Minnesota schools get?
Schools must provide at least 425 hours of instruction in kindergarten, 935 hours in grades 1 to 6 and 1,020 hours in grades 7 to 12 (Minn. Stat. 120A.41). A district with an e-learning plan can have up to five e-learning days a year and must tell families at least two hours before the normal start time (Minn. Stat. 120A.414).
What Minnesota districts have published
Minneapolis Public Schools considers an e-learning day when the next morning's wind chill forecast is -35°F or colder. Burnsville-Eagan-Savage cancels if the 6 am forecast shows an air temperature below -25°F or a wind chill below -35°F, and Anoka-Hennepin said it would likely close when the NWS issued a wind chill warning, a product now called an Extreme Cold Warning (MPR News, Jan 2023).
How the calculator treats Minnesota
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 4 of 4: Snow belt: schools are well prepared
For a suburban public school in Minnesota, any one of these gives the model about an even chance of a closure on its own:
- 7.5 in of snow from 6 pm to 8 am (snow between 4 and 8 am counts extra)
- 0.15 in of ice from freezing rain, from the evening before to the end of the school day
- a wind chill of -30°F between midnight and 8 am
This is already the snowiest level, so elevation does not change it. These are model assumptions, not district rules. How the snow levels work.
In the model, a wind chill around -30°F gives about an even chance of a closure from cold alone in Minnesota, and an Extreme Cold Warning adds more. Districts here often wait for colder readings than that, so on a dry, cold morning the estimate can run high.
Minnesota cities
- Minneapolis: 51 inches of snow in a normal year, -35°F cold thresholds, and when Minneapolis Public Schools switches from snow days to e-learning.
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 cold does it have to be to cancel school in Minnesota?
There is no state rule. Published district thresholds cluster around a wind chill of -35°F, and some also use air temperature (MPR News, Jan 2023). See how cold it has to be to cancel school for more districts.
How many e-learning days can Minnesota schools use?
Up to five a year, for districts and charter schools that adopt an e-learning plan. Families must be told at least two hours before the normal start time (Minn. Stat. 120A.414).
Will school be closed tomorrow in Minnesota?
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.