Snow Day Calculator: What Are the Chances of a Snow Day Tomorrow?
Enter your ZIP code or town to see the chance your school closes or opens late on the next two school days. The estimate combines National Weather Service forecasts with how much snow your town normally gets, because 4 inches can close school in Atlanta but not in Buffalo.
Forecast data may be out of date. We're working on it; check your local forecast too.
Highest chance in the U.S. right now
Kodiak, AK
Winter Weather Advisory until Fri 6 PM
Friday
Toss-up
61%
chance of a snow day
37% chance of a delay
Monday
Unlikely
1%
chance of a snow day
3% chance of a delay
Overnight snow 5.2"Usually closes at 6"
- Winter Weather Advisory in effect until Fri 6 PM.
- 5.2" of snow forecast overnight before Friday (8 pm–9 am).
- Kodiak usually needs about 6" to close schools (normal snowfall 54" a year).
Estimate, not official. Check your school district for the final decision.
Updated from the latest National Weather Service forecast.
Snow day predictor for tomorrow: highest chances tonight
The towns we track with the best chance of a snow day on one of the next two school days, from the latest forecast:
| Place | Day | Snow day | Delay | Overnight snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kodiak, AK Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 61% | 37% | 5.2" |
| Cedar Lake, IN Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 36% | 62% | 3.0" |
| Schererville, IN Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 27% | 71% | 2.7" |
| Lansing, IL Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 19% | 75% | 2.5" |
| Chicago Heights, IL Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 17% | 76% | 2.1" |
| Crown Point, IN Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 15% | 75% | 2.1" |
| Merrillville, IN Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 13% | 73% | 2.0" |
| Lowell, IN Winter Weather Advisory | Friday | 11% | 68% | 1.9" |
How the snow day calculator works
For every town we track (about 3,250 across the snow belt and the South), we pull the National Weather Service's gridded forecast several times a day. We add up the snow and ice forecast for the hours that matter most for a closure, from 8 pm the night before to 9 am on the school day, in the town's own time zone. Snow that falls earlier in the day counts less, because crews have time to clear it.
Then we compare that amount with what usually closes schools in that town. A town that normally gets 90 inches of snow a year is ready for a lot more than one that gets 2, so we set each town's closing point from its NOAA 1991–2020 normal snowfall. Active Winter Storm and Ice Storm Warnings, forecast ice and, in the upper Midwest, dangerous wind chills push the estimate up. You get a percentage for a full snow day and for a delay, for each of the next two school days, with the reasons in plain language.
How many inches of snow for a snow day?
It depends on where you live. Cities that rarely see snow have few plows and drivers who aren't used to it, so an inch or two can close schools. Snow-belt cities plow through amounts that would shut down the South for days. Here's roughly where our model puts the closing point, based on each city's normal yearly snowfall:
| City | Normal snowfall | Usually closes at about |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 1" a year | 1" |
| Dallas | 1" a year | 1" |
| Seattle | 4" a year | 1.5" |
| Washington, DC | 11" a year | 2" |
| Philadelphia | 17" a year | 3" |
| New York City | 27" a year | 4" |
| Detroit | 36" a year | 5" |
| Chicago | 37" a year | 5" |
| Minneapolis | 47" a year | 6" |
| Denver | 49" a year | 6" |
| Boston | 52" a year | 6" |
| Grand Rapids | 74" a year | 7" |
| Buffalo | 95" a year | 8" |
| Rochester | 96" a year | 8" |
| Marquette | 117" a year | 9" |
| Syracuse | 120" a year | 9" |
Ice changes everything: a tenth of an inch of freezing rain can close schools even where a few inches of snow wouldn't. See how much snow closes school in every state for the full map.
Snow day chances by state
State pages list tonight's chances for every town we track there, how much snow each one usually needs, and last winter's biggest snow days.
- Colorado snow daysDenver
- Georgia snow daysAtlanta
- Illinois snow daysChicago
- Maine snow days
- Massachusetts snow daysBoston
- Michigan snow daysDetroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor
- Minnesota snow daysMinneapolis
- New York snow daysNYC, Syracuse
- Ohio snow daysCleveland
- Pennsylvania snow daysPhiladelphia
- Texas snow days
- Washington snow daysSeattle
- West Virginia snow days
- Washington, DC snow daysDC, Fairfax, Montgomery
Popular city snow day pages
- Denver snow day
- Atlanta snow day
- Chicago snow day
- Boston snow day
- Detroit snow day
- Grand Rapids snow day
- Ann Arbor snow day
- Minneapolis snow day
- NYC snow day
- Syracuse snow day
- Cleveland snow day
- Philadelphia snow day
- Seattle snow day
- DC snow day
Your state isn't listed? The calculator above still covers your town: just enter your ZIP code.
Snow day vs. 2-hour delay vs. e-learning day
A snow day means school is closed for the day, and many districts add a makeup day at the end of the year once they use up the days built into the calendar.
A 2-hour delay (sometimes a 90-minute or 3-hour delay) gives crews time to clear roads and lets the sun come up before buses run. Districts use delays when snow ends overnight, when roads are icy at dawn, or when wind chills are dangerous early but improve by mid-morning. Our delay percentage estimates this separately.
An e-learning or remote day keeps school in session online. Many districts in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and elsewhere now use them instead of some snow days, so when our snow day chance is high, check whether your district switches to remote learning instead of closing.
Is the snow day calculator accurate?
We don't make accuracy claims we can't back up yet. This is the calculator's first season, and the honest answer is that its accuracy depends on two things: how good the overnight snow forecast is, and how well each town's normal snowfall predicts what its district will do. Weather forecasts for snow amounts can be off by a few inches even the night before, especially near a rain–snow line.
What we do: show the reasons behind every number, use the official National Weather Service forecast instead of a guess, and collect closure reports from people like you after each storm. Those reports go into a public accuracy record on our how it works page, and they'll be used to tune the closing points for each area.
Snow day FAQ: will there be a snow day tomorrow?
Will there be a snow day tomorrow?
It depends on how much snow and ice falls overnight where you live and how much snow your district is used to handling. Enter your ZIP code or town at the top of this page for an estimate for the next two school days. For Friday, the highest chance we see anywhere is 61% in Kodiak, AK.
What are the odds of a snow day tomorrow?
For most towns on most winter nights the odds are low. The estimate climbs as the snow forecast for the night before school (8 pm to 9 am) approaches your town's usual closing amount: when the forecast matches it, the chance is about 50%, and at one and a half times that amount it is around 90%. Winter storm and ice storm warnings push the odds higher.
Will there be a snow day on Monday?
On Friday and Saturday the calculator skips the weekend and shows Monday. Snow that falls on Saturday usually gets cleared before Monday, so what matters most is the forecast for Sunday night into Monday morning.
When do schools announce snow days?
Many districts decide early in the morning, often between about 4:30 and 6 am, after crews drive the roads. When a big storm is certain, some announce the night before. Your district's website, app, text alerts and local TV are the official sources.
How many inches of snow for a snow day?
There is no national number. Based on normal snowfall, our model puts the closing point at about 1" in Atlanta, 2" in Washington, DC, 5" in Chicago, 6" in Boston and 8" in Buffalo. Timing matters too: snow falling overnight counts more than snow that ends the afternoon before.
Can ice or extreme cold close schools?
Yes. Ice is often more dangerous than snow, so a tenth of an inch of freezing rain raises the odds sharply anywhere. In the upper Midwest, districts also close for extreme wind chills, usually in the −30s °F and colder, and the calculator checks morning wind chills there separately.
Is this an official school closing announcement?
No. Snow Day Estimator is an independent estimate built from public weather data. Only your school district can close school, so always check its website or alerts for the final decision.
What is a snow day calculator?
A snow day calculator estimates the chance that school will close because of snow, ice or cold. Ours uses National Weather Service gridpoint forecasts, active winter weather alerts and each town's 1991–2020 normal snowfall, plus closure reports from people near you.