# Snow days in Milwaukee

Source: https://calculatesnowday.com/states/wisconsin/milwaukee

Milwaukee Public Schools decides by 6 am and announces the night before only when severe weather is already underway or very likely. Enter a school's ZIP code below to see the chance of a closure or late start from the latest National Weather Service forecast. The number is an estimate; the district makes the call.

By [Muhammad Shakeel](https://calculatesnowday.com/about#editor). Updated 3 November 2026 for the 2026-27 school year. District plans change; check the district's own page.

## Snow in Milwaukee

Milwaukee averages 48.7 inches of snow a year (1991-2020 normal, [NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan annual climate report](https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=MKE&product=CLA&format=txt&version=1&glossary=0)). Wisconsin's winter hazards also include blizzards, ice storms, extreme cold and freezing rain ([NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan](https://www.weather.gov/mkx/winter-wx-awareness)).

## How Milwaukee schools announce closures

Milwaukee Public Schools decides by 6 am and announces the night before only when severe weather is underway or very likely. It may close, delay two hours or dismiss early, and sends notices by phone, website, local TV and radio, and social media; families can get texts by texting Y to 67587 ([MPS weather information](https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Families/Weather-Information.htm)).

## Reading the estimate in Milwaukee

Level 4 of 4: Snow belt: schools are well prepared

For a suburban public school in Wisconsin, 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](https://calculatesnowday.com/how-it-works#snow-levels).

Wisconsin is the model's snowiest level, so a wind chill near -30°F gives about an even chance of a closure from cold alone.

## Questions and answers

### When does Milwaukee Public Schools announce closings?

By 6 am, or the night before when severe weather is underway or very likely ([MPS](https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Families/Weather-Information.htm)).

### What can Milwaukee Public Schools do on a winter weather day?

Close schools, start two hours late, or close early. If schools stay open, there is no announcement ([MPS](https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Families/Weather-Information.htm)).

### Is the Milwaukee snow day estimate an official closure notice?

No. It is an estimate from the National Weather Service forecast. Only the school district can close schools, so check its announcement before changing your plans. [How accurate the estimate is](https://calculatesnowday.com/how-it-works#accuracy).

More about [snow days in Wisconsin](https://calculatesnowday.com/states/wisconsin). For what closes schools anywhere, read [how much snow it takes](https://calculatesnowday.com/guides/how-much-snow-to-cancel-school) and [how cold it has to be](https://calculatesnowday.com/guides/how-cold-to-cancel-school).