CBS 21 News Latest School Closings and Delays

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For families in Central Pennsylvania, staying informed about school schedules during the winter season is a top priority. CBS 21 News (WHP-TV) serves as the primary “First Warning” resource for school closings, delays, and early dismissals across Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York.

Current School Closings and Delays Status

How to Check CBS 21 School Closings

CBS 21 provides a comprehensive, multi-platform system to ensure you never miss an update:

The Official Closings Dashboard: You can find a searchable, live-updating list at the CBS 21 Closings Page. This list is alphabetized by organization, including public schools, private academies, daycares, and even some local businesses.
Mobile Alerts: Download the CBS 21 News App and enable “Breaking News” or “Weather” notifications. This is the fastest way to get a push notification the moment your specific school district makes a call.
On-Air Morning News: During the CBS 21 News, This Morning broadcast (beginning at 4:30 AM), look for the continuous “crawl” at the bottom of the screen.

Common Schedule Adjustments

When winter weather or severe storms impact the Susquehanna Valley, you will likely see the following alerts:

Status	Impact on Your Day
Closed / FID Day	The building is closed. Many PA schools now use Flexible Instructional Days (FID), meaning students complete assignments online rather than making the day up in June.
2-Hour Delay	School and bus routes begin exactly two hours later. Modified kindergarten schedules (AM/PM) usually apply.
3-Hour Delay	Reserved for more severe icing or snow removal; breakfast is typically not served on these days.
Early Dismissal	Used if weather worsens during the day. Schools usually dismiss in “waves,” starting with high schools followed by elementary.

Why the Decision is Made

School superintendents from districts like Harrisburg City, Central Dauphin, and Lancaster typically make their decisions in consultation with the CBS 21 First Warning Weather team and local road crews.

The primary factor is often not the total snowfall, but the timing of the precipitation and whether or not secondary “back roads” have been cleared for bus travel. Most decisions are finalized by 5:30 AM to provide parents with a window to arrange for childcare or adjust their work schedules.

Pro-Tip: If your school is not listed on the CBS 21 dashboard, it generally means they are operating on a normal schedule. The list only displays active changes to the daily routine.

Get the latest school closings, cancellations, and delays. View school closures for Pennsylvania from CBS 21 News. WHP CBS 21 Harrisburg provides local news, weather, sports, community events and items of interest for Harrisburg Lancaster Lebanon York and nearby towns

WHP-TV, virtual channel 21, is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group.-Wikipedia