MINNEAPOLIS — More than 200 schools across Minnesota and Wisconsin are closed or closing early Friday in anticipation of the incoming winter storm.
For kids and parents in a snowy, cold state like Minnesota, there's always the anticipation: Waiting to hear whether their district has decided to cancel due to snow or cold.
For the districts making the call, it's not that simple. There are no hard and fast state guidelines as to when districts should cancel.
The Governor can decide to close all schools in the state if they believe the weather warrants it. That's what Governor Mark Dayton did in 2014 when windchills were expected to get down to -50. Governor Arne Carlson cancelled school three times in the 1990's due to cold.
But most often, the decision is up to the individual districts, and their guidelines vary.
Anoka-Hennepin, which is the largest district in the state, says it relies on the National Weather Service. If it issues a "wind chill warning," which means you can get frostbite in less than 15 minutes, the district says they'll probably close.
As for snow, the district's website says in the past they've typically closed for "snowmageddon-like" conditions.
St. Paul Public Schools cancel if the air temperature is below -25 or if the wind chill is below -35. For snow and ice -- they cancel if it's "hazardous" or "impossible" for school buses and employees to get to school safely.
In Minneapolis, the district says it will likely cancel if the wind chill is expected to be -35 or colder.
A snow day might happen if it snows 6 inches or more in 12 hours, but every winter storm is different.
That's true for all districts in the state -- it's not cut-and-dried when making the call to close.
They have to think about the combination of snow and cold, how many kids and teachers live in rural areas, and how many students walk to school, among other factors.
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