Is school canceled or delayed? How that decision can affect students, parents and staff during the disruptive winter weather months
Prevent mistakes or missteps when snow and ice are in the forecast with AccuWeather's Snow Warning Service™.
>>Learn more about AccuWeather For Business
Winter is coming, bringing snow, ice and falling temperatures. Will the school start time be delayed a few hours? Or does the forecast call for a full snow day? Is it safe for school buses to be transporting students?
These are tough decisions, but AccuWeather’s Snow Warning ServiceTM is designed to help you make the right decision for your district, parents and students and staff during the months of disruptive winter weather.
Vance S. Varner, superintendent of the Mifflin County School District in Lewiston, Pa., said his district has been using AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service since 2023.
“You guys are definitely a huge tool in our tool belt that we utilize. Not only the daily forecast, but the hourly forecast so we can plan for an evening play or sporting practices,” he said. “And the radar – it’s definitely a high resolution radar system – my school district is 362 square miles, our buses travel over 11,000 miles a day.”
>>Better protect your students and staff this winter with AccuWeather's Snow Warning ServiceTM. Contact AccuWeather today.
A man shovels snows outside his home in Towson, Md., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)
School superintendents who use AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service make the best-informed decisions regarding school closures, delays, early dismissals, or virtual days. We give you the confidence to make the right call every time. AccuWeather’s expert meteorologists will monitor the weather conditions for your district - and alert you with a phone call when snow and ice will impact decision-making.
>> Learn more about AccuWeather’s Proven Superior AccuracyTM
Every independent study shows that AccuWeather’s forecasts are significantly more accurate, more detailed, more specific, and more valuable than any other sources. AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service virtually eliminates the chance of making the wrong decision - and when you get it right, parents will be happy.
“We have the opportunity to talk to a meteorologist 24x7x365. If I’m on the fence…one time, I didn’t know if I should cancel or if I would be lucky enough to get away with a three hour delay, I called that number at 3:30 in the morning and someone answered,” Varner said.
“It was a big relief to be able to talk to someone with that knowledge and experience to help me make that decision.”
School delays vs. closures
School closures are one of heavy snowfall's most immediate and noticeable impacts. When snow accumulates to dangerous levels, schools often have no choice but to close their doors to protect the safety of students and staff. While students may celebrate a snow day, these closures can disrupt educational continuity as teachers scramble to reschedule lessons and assignments. With AccuWeather For Business Snow Warning Service, schools can use the most accurate forecast and advance notice to make the call to cancel or delay classes, minimizing the disruption to the academic calendar and ensuring that safety remains a top priority.
School buses are covered in snow during a snowstorm, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Brooklyn, New York. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Varner said he appreciates the detailed, precise forecast information provided by AccuWeather’s experts, including the direct contact with expert meteorologists in the midst of severe winter weather when tough decisions are being made.
“If something is coming up but it may change, may not change, we let the parents and others know the decision’s not going to be made tonight, but we will let them know by 4:30 a.m.,” he said. “So we’re up at 3 a.m., working with the road crews, working with your meteorologists, and making a decision. Do we go with a two hour delay, a three hour delay, or do we have to cancel?”
Transportation challenges
Snow and ice present transportation challenges that can significantly impact students' ability to get to school safely. School buses navigating icy roads pose a risk to both students and drivers and students who rely on public transportation may face delays and cancellations, making it difficult to get to school.
Schools should also take into consideration the slip-and-fall risk for students who may walk to school. AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service offers real-time weather data and road condition updates to transportation authorities and schools. This gives them the confidence to make informed decisions about delaying bus routes or closing schools so students can travel safely.
Varner said when determining how winter weather may affect his district’s transportation plans, AccuWeather’s Superior Accuracy™ and individualized forecasts and consultation with expert meteorologists makes a big difference.
“The ages for our bus drivers keeps getting older, and they can get a little bit nervous, so if we know a storm is coming a day ahead, they can talk to a bus driver with more experience,” he said.
Transportation in winter months also affects a school district’s extracurricular activities and athletic teams, Varner said.
“Do we have to cancel afternoon games? Or is the snow coming later, and we know we shouldn’t send our teams away for games?” he said.
Children in the snow
Classroom Disruptions
Even when schools remain open during snow and ice conditions, classroom disruptions are inevitable. Snow-covered shoes and wet clothing can create messy classrooms, while cold temperatures can make learning environments less comfortable. Teachers may have to adjust their lesson plans to accommodate students who arrive late or miss school due to weather-related issues. AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service can help schools best prepare for such disruptions by receiving advance notice of snowstorms and extreme cold. Schools can proactively plan for classroom changes, allocate additional resources for cleaning, and offer support to students who may miss class.
If a delay or cancellation is inevitable, Varner said AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service helps his district make decisions that may affect things beyond transportation or general safety.
“A big concern is our food services. When are we bringing our cafeteria workers in? We have to have breakfast and lunch because sometimes unfortunately that’s the only warm meal our kids get every day,” he said.
Prevent mistakes or missteps on school cancellations, delayed starts, and early dismissals. Protect your students and staff by making the right decisions at the right time with AccuWeather’s Snow Warning Service.
Backed by AccuWeather’s Superior Accuracy™, AccuWeather's Snow Warning Service helps to provide pinpoint weather insights that help you make the most effective, accurate decisions during months with disruptive winter weather. AccuWeather goes beyond just predicting snow; we also detail the actual impacts of snow. For example, will roads be mainly wet or snow-covered? Will lingering moisture or snow on the road refreeze as the afternoon progresses? We give you the information you need to make the right call.
FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo, Lear Preston, 4, who attends Scott Joplin Elementary School, participates in her virtual classes as her mother, Brittany Preston, background, assists at their residence in Chicago's South Side. Amid mounting tensions about reopening schools, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar, File)
