Prince William County Public Schools says it is closely monitoring the forecast for this weekend as a major winter storm threatens the region. Any decisions on delays or closures will be based on guidance from emergency management, meteorologists, and state highway officials, along with inspections of roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and bus lanes across the county.
School officials say they try to make weather-related decisions as early as possible to give families time to plan. In most cases, a decision is made the night before, or by no later than 4:30 a.m. on the morning of a closure if conditions remain uncertain. Once a decision is made, notifications will be shared quickly through multiple communication channels.
Forecast summary:
A major winter storm is increasingly likely to impact the region from late Saturday through Sunday, bringing heavy snow, areas of sleet and freezing rain, and significant travel disruptions.
Forecast details:
https://www.potomaclocal.com/2026/01/22/major-winter-storm-likely-this-weekend-with-heavy-snow-ice-and-dangerous-cold/
PWCS did not announce any delays or closures at this time.
Here’s the full update:
Like many school divisions in the area, we are closely monitoring the forecast for this upcoming weekend. In making decisions about changing the status of school operations, PWCS reviews information from emergency management, meteorologists, and state highway administrators about road conditions, and school personnel also inspect the road conditions, sidewalks, parking lots, and bus lanes throughout the county. Decisions are made based on countywide conditions and weather forecasts to ensure the safety of all students, staff, and residents across more than 350 square miles, with significant elevation changes.
PWCS tries to make decisions on delays and closings as many hours in advance as possible, in consideration of families who need time to make proper arrangements. In most cases, the decision will be made the night before, or in uncertain conditions, not later than 4:30 a.m. on the morning of closing. Once weather-related decisions are made, weather communications will then follow as rapidly as possible.
PWCS provides information about closings and delays in many ways, including:
Email and text messages sent to parents/guardians (using the contact information provided in ParentVUE)
Alerts on the PWCS homepage and each school website
PWCS-TV (channel 18 on Comcast and channel 36 on Fios)
PWCS Facebook
Area radio and television stationsMore information on our weather codes can be found here: https://www.pwcs.edu/about_us/closings/codes/index
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