NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 22: A school bus picks up children in Brooklyn on the morning after a major winter storm blanketed much of New York City in 10 to 12 inches of snow on January 22, 2014 in New York City. While the storm caused major traffic and subway delays, New York City area schools were open on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

...

Anna SkinnerJoe Edwards

By Anna Skinner and Joe Edwards

0

Share

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

Dozens of schools have announced that class will be canceled on Friday due to extreme weather an incoming winter storm.

Hundreds of thousands of school-aged children will be affected by the closures. The announcements come as extremely cold temperatures descend on the United States from the north, with a winter storm set to hit the Southern Plains beginning on Friday.

Read More on U.S.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bob Larson told Newsweek that many schools from Texas up through the Northeast could be closed "for days" even after the storm has finished.

Long-lasting power outages, compounded by days of subfreezing temperatures and accumulating ice from the storm, could also contribute to the closures.

As of early Friday morning, school closures have been announced in Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio, Missouri, and Kansas.

File photo: A school bus picks up a child on a snowy street.

...

Minnesota School Closures

In Minnesota, St. Paul Public Schools announced closures on Friday, with no e-learning available either.

"There will be no school on Friday, January 23, due to the weather. Students should NOT report to school," the school district wrote on its website.

"This will NOT be an E-Learning Day. School is canceled. Discovery Club, Adult Basic Education and ECFE will be closed."

Illinois School Closures

Chicago Public Schools will also close on Friday, citing the extremely cold conditions.

"We have been carefully monitoring the forecast over the past 24 hours and have determined that, given the frigid temperatures predicted for tomorrow and a National Weather Service Warning that wind chills could reach -35 degrees, it will be unsafe for staff and students to travel to school," the school district said on its website.

"Therefore, we are canceling all classes for Friday, January 23. All after-school programming, including athletic practices and games, are also canceled for Friday."

Wisconsin School Closures

Milwaukee Public Schools have also closed, including the Green Bay School District, De Pere School District, Denmark School District, Pulaski School District, and Sturgeon Bay School District, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.

Meanwhile, other closures include the Greendale School District, Hartford Joint #1, Kenosha Unified School District, Mequon-Thiensville School District, Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, Sheboygan Falls School District, and West Allis-West Milwaukee Schools will also close, WISN 12 reported.

Texas School Schedule Changes

Several schools in Texas have announced early dismissals on Friday ahead of the heavy snow and ice expected to hit the state. These include Chilicothe ISD, Crowell ISD, Harrold ISD, Northside ISD, and Quanah ISD, KFDX reported.

Winter storm warnings are in place across Texas and Oklahoma, with snow and sleet forecast to begin falling around noon local time on Friday.

Ohio School Closures

Across Northeast Ohio, dozens of school districts are cancelling classes, Cleveland.com reported. Among these are Avon, Avon Lake, Bay Village, East Cleveland, Elyria City, Fairview Park, Lorain City, North Olmsted, Parma and Rocky River.

Winter storm warnings are in effect for much of the state as of early Friday.

Missouri School Closures

In Missouri, The Kansas City Star reported that more than two dozen schools or school districts will be closed, operating with e-learning or alternative methods of instruction. The schools include Brookside Charter School, DeLaSalle High School, Gordon Parks Elementary School, Kansas City Public Schools, Stanberry R-2, and more.

Kansas School Closures

Across Kansas, KWCH reported that the following schools are closed Friday:

Update 01/23/2026, 5:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

View 0 Comments

Request Reprint & Licensing

Submit Correction

View Editorial & AI Guidelines