Fairfax County School Closings Today — Live Status & Delays (Virginia)

Q: Which TV and radio stations report Fairfax County school closings?

The primary local TV stations reporting FCPS closures are WUSA9 (CBS), NBC4 Washington (WRC-TV), ABC7 (WJLA), and FOX 5 DC (WTTG). WTOP 103.5 FM provides continuous radio updates during weather events. FCPS also broadcasts status on cable Channel 21 (Cox, Comcast, Verizon FiOS channel 11).

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Are Fairfax County schools closed today? Check live status below — updated every 10 minutes.

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Please enable JavaScript in your browser, then reload this page to see current closure and delay information for Fairfax County Public Schools and surrounding districts. In the meantime, check directly: FCPS Weather & Closings (fcps.edu), WUSA9 CBS, or NBC4 Washington.

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Live status monitored for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

How Does FCPS Announce School Closures and Delays?

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has one of the most comprehensive closure communication systems among large school districts in the United States. When the superintendent determines that weather or other conditions require a closure or delay, the decision is published simultaneously across multiple channels to reach families as quickly as possible.

The official first point of publication is fcps.edu/weather and the FCPS Alerts page at fcps.edu/alerts. Enrolled families automatically receive push notifications via the FCPS Mobile App, plus email and text messages sent to the contact information stored in SIS ParentVUE. FCPS employees receive parallel notification via their district email. The district also transmits closure decisions to local radio and television stations — WUSA9 (CBS), NBC4 Washington (WRC), ABC7 (WJLA), and FOX 5 DC (WTTG) — which broadcast school status throughout early-morning programming. For cable subscribers, FCPS Channel 21 (available on Cox Communications, Reston Comcast, and Verizon FiOS channel 11) displays rolling closure information. Families can also sign up for the “News You Choose” email newsletter specifically covering delayed openings and school closings, and follow Fairfax County Emergency Alerts for county-wide weather emergencies.

FCPS aims to communicate closure decisions by the evening before a weather event whenever possible, giving families maximum time to arrange childcare and transportation. When uncertainty remains high into the late evening — particularly during fast-moving winter storms or nor’easters — the superintendent may wait for the most current morning forecast and make a final decision by approximately 4:30 a.m. This page monitors official FCPS feeds, local TV RSS feeds, and the district website automatically, so you will see status updates reflected here within minutes of the official announcement.

Weather Conditions That Trigger Fairfax County School Closings

Snow accumulation and road icing: Even modest snowfall — as little as 1–2 inches — can trigger a delay or closure in Fairfax County because the region’s hilly terrain, large number of bus routes, and mix of state and residential roads create uneven plowing and de-icing coverage. VDOT coordinates road treatment, but side streets and bus stops may remain hazardous long after main roads are cleared.
Freezing rain and sleet (ice storms): Freezing rain is the single most disruptive winter weather event for Northern Virginia schools. A thin glaze of ice on roads and sidewalks eliminates traction for buses and walking students alike, often triggering full closures even when total precipitation is minimal. Black ice events — where roads appear dry but are glazed with invisible ice — are particularly dangerous on the county’s many curved and hilly residential streets.
Winter Storm Warnings and Blizzard Warnings: Any National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning or Blizzard Warning covering Fairfax County (NWS zone VAZ053) is a strong indicator of closure. FCPS monitors NWS forecasts continuously from late fall through early spring and coordinates with VDOT and Fairfax County Emergency Management before making decisions.
Dangerously low wind chill temperatures: While Fairfax County rarely experiences extreme cold compared to northern states, Arctic air masses and polar vortex events can drive wind chill readings well below zero. FCPS will issue closures or delays when wind chills pose a safety risk for students waiting at bus stops, particularly for younger children in elementary school.
Wintry mix and nor’easters: The Mid-Atlantic’s proximity to the coast means winter precipitation frequently arrives as a changeable mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain — sometimes cycling between all three during a single storm. Nor’easters tracking up the East Coast can produce heavy, wet snow that accumulates rapidly and strains power infrastructure, sometimes leading to extended closures.
Severe thunderstorms and tornado watches: Spring and early summer bring the risk of severe thunderstorm lines and occasional tornado watches across Northern Virginia. While school closures for thunderstorms are rare, tornado warnings during school hours trigger shelter-in-place procedures, and early dismissals may occur when severe weather is forecast to arrive during afternoon hours.
Flooding and flash flood warnings: Heavy rainfall events, particularly in low-lying areas near streams and creeks in western Fairfax County, can flood road underpasses and bus routes. Flash flood warnings from the NWS may prompt delays or route modifications that affect school start times.
Dense fog advisories: Dense fog events in the fall and winter reduce visibility for bus drivers and can prompt delayed openings, allowing time for fog to dissipate before buses begin their morning routes.

Frequently Asked Questions — Fairfax County School Closings

How early does FCPS announce school closures?

Fairfax County Public Schools aims to announce closures and delays as early as possible — ideally by the evening before a weather event, so families can arrange childcare before going to sleep. When uncertainty persists late into the night, the superintendent makes a final decision by approximately 4:30 a.m. on the morning of the event. The decision is immediately published to fcps.edu, pushed via the FCPS Mobile App, and sent by email and text to enrolled families through SIS ParentVUE.

What does a 2-hour delay mean for Fairfax County students?

When FCPS operates on a two-hour delay, student pick-up times are shifted two hours later than normal. For example, a student normally picked up at 7:10 a.m. would instead be picked up at 9:10 a.m. Parents are advised to have students at their bus stop five minutes before the delayed pick-up time and to monitor the FCPS Bus Delay website for real-time route status, as delays may run more than 15 minutes behind even the adjusted schedule.

Can FCPS close individual schools while others stay open?

Yes. Because FCPS operates nearly 200 schools across a large and geographically diverse county, conditions can occasionally affect individual schools differently — for example, a burst pipe, power outage, or localized flooding. In those cases, FCPS may close or delay a single school while the rest of the district operates normally. Always check fcps.edu/alerts for your specific school’s status, especially when you hear about partial closures.

Which TV and radio stations report Fairfax County school closings?

The primary local TV stations reporting FCPS closures and delays are WUSA9 (CBS), NBC4 Washington (WRC-TV), ABC7 (WJLA), and FOX 5 DC (WTTG). For radio, WTOP 103.5 FM is the region’s primary all-news station and provides continuous school-closing updates during weather events. FCPS also broadcasts status on its own cable Channel 21 (Cox, Comcast, Verizon FiOS channel 11). This page automatically monitors all these sources alongside the official FCPS website.

How often is this Fairfax County school closings page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions. During active weather alerts — such as a Winter Storm Warning or Ice Storm Warning issued by the National Weather Service for Fairfax County (NWS zone VAZ053) — checks increase to every 5 minutes. The page timestamp updates each time a check completes, even if the status has not changed, so you always know exactly how fresh the data is.

Does FCPS use snow days or virtual learning days for closures?

FCPS has the option to designate closure days as virtual learning days depending on the nature of the event and the district’s instructional calendar. Whether a closure day is treated as a traditional snow day or a virtual instruction day depends on decisions made by FCPS leadership and communicated at the time of closure. Check fcps.edu/weather and the official FCPS announcement for the specific designation each time a closure is called.

Fairfax County Public Schools — Full School Roster

The following schools are monitored by this page as part of the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) district. School closure or delay status for all of these schools is reflected in the live dashboard above.