Much of the U.S. remains under extreme cold weather warnings and watches on Monday, after a blast of bitterly frigid air spread across the western, central and eastern parts of the country over the weekend and continues moving eastward along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast.
Sub-zero and below-average temperatures, as well as dangerous wind chills, have forced schools across the country to shut down to ensure the safety of their students.
Newsweek has compiled a list of all school closures across the country in the coming days based on official announcements and local reports.
Why It Matters
The unusually cold weather stinging much of the U.S. this week will impact millions of Americans. When bad weather causes school closures, it can have broader effects on families and communities.
For parents or guardians who rely on school as a form of childcare during the day, closures may require adjustments to their work schedules or alternative childcare arrangements.
What to Know
Several schools will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which this year coincides with Inauguration Day, when President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in. The inauguration was moved indoors because of the cold weather.
Here's a list of confirmed school closures across the country, by state, because of the cold front hitting the nation.
Alabama
Closed Tuesday, Jan. 21:
- Gulf Shores City Schools
- Mobile County Public Schools
- Orange Beach City Schools: Virtual learning
- St. Paul's Episcopal School
- UMS-Wright Preparatory School
Closed Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22:
- Baldwin County Public Schools
- Bayside Academy
- Butler County Schools
- Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Mobile
- Chickasaw City Schools
- Choctaw County Schools
- Clarke County Schools
- Conecuh County Schools
- Dothan City Schools
- Escambia County Schools
- Geneva County Schools
- Houston County Schools
- Henry County Schools
- Monroe County Schools
- Pike County Schools
- Saraland City Schools
And:
- Wallace Community College
- Washington County Schools
Florida
Closed Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22:
- Calhoun County
- Gulf County
- Franklin County
- Holmes County
- Jackson County
- Okaloosa County
- Walton County
- Washington County
Closed Wednesday, Jan. 22:
- Bay County: Closed Wednesday, Jan. 22
Georgia
Closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22:
- Long County
Remote learning for students on Tuesday, Jan. 21, Wednesday, Jan. 22, and Thursday, Jan. 23:
- Savannah-Chatham County
Idaho
Closed Monday, Jan. 20 due to the weather:
- Blackfoot School District
- Blackfoot Charter
- Idaho Science and Technology Charter School
- Alturas Preparatory and International Academy
- Snake River Montessori School in Ammon
- Fremont School District 215
Indiana
Closed Monday, Jan. 20 due to the weather:
- Maconaquah School Corporation, Miami
- Peru Comm Schools, Miami
- Rossville Cons School, Clinton
Louisiana
Closed Monday, Jan. 20:
- West Baton Rouge: with distance learning
Closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21:
- Ascension
- Assumption
- East Baton Rouge
- East Feliciana
- West Feliciana: Remote learning
- Iberville
- Pointe Coupee
- St. Helena
Closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22:
- Tangipahoa
Mississippi
Closed Monday, Jan. 20 due to the weather:
- Presbyterian Christian School
- Lamar County School District
- Lamar Christian School
- Richton School District
- Covington County School District
And:
- William Carey University
- Pearl River Community College
Closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22:
- Sacred Heart Catholic School
- Dorothy Newborn Palace
- Jones County School District
- Greater Expectations children Learning Center
- Unlimited Dreams Christian Learning Center
- Laurel School District
- Saint John's Day School
- Wayne County School District
- Wayne Academy
- Perry County School District
- George County School District
And:
- Jones College: Remote learning for all campuses
Texas
Closed on Monday, Jan. 20:
- Lago Vista ISD
Closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21:
- Austin ISD
- Bartlett ISD
- Bastrop ISD
- Del Valle ISD
- Dripping Springs ISD
- Eanes ISD
- Elgin ISD
- Fayetteville ISD
- Georgetown ISD
- Gonzales ISD
- Granger ISD
- Hays CISD
- Hutto ISD
- Jarrell ISD
- La Grange ISD
- Lake Travis ISD
- Leander ISD
- Liberty Hill ISD
- Lockhart ISD
- Luling ISD
- Manor ISD
- McDade ISD
- Pflugerville ISD
- Round Rock ISD
- Round Top-Carmine ISD
- San Marcos CISD
- Schulenburg ISD
- Smithville ISD
- Taylor ISD
- Thrall ISD
- Waelder ISD
- Wimberley ISD
And:
- Austin Community College
- Southwestern University
- Texas State University
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest update: "Arctic air will filter south and east through early this week. As this cold air moves across the South, a rare winter storm is forecast to develop from Texas, Gulf Coast States into the Southeast through early this week. Several new daily record low temperatures are expected, including new record-low maximum temperatures."
What's Next
According to the NWS Weather Prediction Center: "Frigid temperatures will continue to make headlines" this week. The Rockies, northern Plains, and Upper Midwest are expected to see minimum wind chills of 30 to 55 below zero into Tuesday, which could pose a life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin.
Wind chills below zero degrees are also likely to reach Oklahoma and the Ohio/Tennessee Valley through Wednesday, while dangerously cold weather will linger along the Gulf Coast and the Southeast for much of the week, it said.
English (US) ·