Grand Forks School Closings Today — Status & Delays (North Dakota)

Looking for Grand Forks school closings today? Check live status below — updated every 10 minutes.

Live status monitored for Grand Forks Public Schools, East Grand Forks Public Schools (ISD 595), Thompson Public School District, and Larimore Public School District.

How Grand Forks School Closures Are Announced

Grand Forks Public Schools (GFPS) posts closure and delay decisions on its official website at gfschools.org, along with direct notifications sent to families who have signed up through the district’s communications system. According to local news coverage, GFPS decisions on closures or delays are typically made by around 5:30 AM on the day in question, though the district — like most in the Upper Midwest — will announce the evening before whenever a major winter storm is clearly forecast in advance.

Because Grand Forks Public Schools includes both “in-town” buildings and the Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle Schools located on Grand Forks Air Force Base, base schools have occasionally followed a different closure schedule than the rest of the district during severe weather, so families connected to the base should confirm status for their specific school. Local television is also a fast, reliable way to check status: WDAZ/WDAY (Channel 8, simulcast ABC/NBC coverage out of the Grand Forks news bureau and Fargo) and Valley News Live KVLY (Channel 11) both post closings and delays as soon as districts report them, and the Grand Forks Herald maintains a running list online as well. This page automatically monitors all of these sources alongside each district’s own website, so you can check one place instead of several.

Weather Risks That Can Close Grand Forks Schools

• Blizzards and winter storms: Heavy snowfall combined with high winds can produce whiteout conditions and dangerously low visibility on rural roads and bus routes throughout the Red River Valley.
• Extreme cold and wind chill: Grand Forks regularly sees sub-zero wind chills in the winter months; when readings drop into dangerous territory, districts may delay or cancel classes and outdoor bus stops even without fresh snow.
• Ice storms and freezing rain: A glaze of ice on roads, sidewalks, and parking lots can make walking and driving hazardous well after a storm has passed.
• Spring flooding along the Red River of the North: Snowmelt and ice jams have historically caused major flooding in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, at times affecting school access and, in extreme years, requiring evacuations.
• Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes: Summer storm season can bring damaging straight-line winds, hail, and occasional tornadoes to the area, which can affect after-school activities and, in rare cases, the school day itself.
• Dense fog: Low-lying fog off the Red River can reduce visibility for morning bus routes, particularly in the fall and spring.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early does Grand Forks Public Schools announce school closures?

Grand Forks Public Schools typically finalizes closure or delay decisions by around 5:30 AM on the day of the event, based on overnight weather conditions and road reports. When a major winter storm is clearly forecast well in advance, the district may announce a closure the evening before so families can plan ahead.

What’s the difference between a closure and a delay in Grand Forks?

A full closure means all Grand Forks Public Schools buildings are closed for the day, with no in-person instruction (the district may hold a remote/e-learning day instead). A delayed start means the school day begins later than usual — commonly a two-hour delay — to give crews more time to clear roads, sidewalks, and parking lots before students arrive.

Do all Grand Forks-area schools close at the same time?

Not always. Grand Forks Public Schools and the Nathan Twining schools on Grand Forks Air Force Base are part of the same district but have at times followed different schedules during severe weather due to base-specific conditions. Neighboring districts — East Grand Forks (across the river in Minnesota), Thompson, and Larimore — each make independent decisions, so a closure in Grand Forks does not automatically mean a closure in a nearby town, and vice versa. Always check the status for your specific district.

Which TV stations report Grand Forks school closings?

WDAZ/WDAY (Channel 8) and Valley News Live KVLY (Channel 11) are the primary local TV stations that report Grand Forks-area school closings, alongside the Grand Forks Herald’s online closings list. This page automatically monitors these sources together with each district’s official website.

How often is this page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions, or every 5 minutes during active winter storm, blizzard, or flood alerts, so the information here stays current throughout the morning.

Why does the Red River flood risk matter for Grand Forks schools?

Grand Forks sits along the Red River of the North, which flows north and can back up with ice and snowmelt each spring. The city experienced catastrophic flooding in 1997, and the district and city continue to monitor river levels closely every spring; significant flood years can affect road access to schools even outside of the typical winter closure season.

Grand Forks Public Schools Roster

High Schools

• Central High School
• Red River High School
• Community High School (Alternative)

Middle Schools

• Elroy Schroeder Middle School
• South Middle School
• Valley Middle School
• Nathan Twining Middle School

Elementary Schools

• Ben Franklin Elementary School
• Century Elementary School
• Discovery Elementary School
• J Nelson Kelly Elementary School
• Lake Agassiz Elementary School
• Lewis and Clark Elementary School
• Nathan F. Twining Elementary School
• Phoenix Elementary School
• Viking Elementary School
• West Elementary School
• Wilder Elementary School
• Winship Elementary School

East Grand Forks Public Schools (ISD 595) Roster

High Schools

• East Grand Forks Senior High School

Middle Schools

• East Grand Forks Central Middle School

Elementary school name(s) for ISD 595 were not individually confirmed from a primary source for this page — verify current buildings at egf.k12.mn.us.

Thompson Public School District Roster

• Thompson High School (Grades 6–12)
• Thompson Elementary School

Larimore Public School District Roster

• Larimore High School
• Larimore Elementary School