KDLT News Latest School Closings and Delays

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When a winter storm sweeps through the Dakotas and Minnesota, keeping track of school schedules is the top priority for families in the Sioux Falls region. While many still search for “KDLT school closings,” it is important to note that the station’s news operations merged in 2020.

Today, those updates are delivered through Dakota News Now, the combined powerhouse of KSFY and KDLT.

Current School Closings and Delays Status

Where to Find the Latest Closings

Because weather in the Midwest can change in a matter of minutes, Dakota News Now provides several ways to track delays, early outs, and full-day closures:

The Live Closing List: The most reliable source is the Dakota News Now Closings Page, which features a real-time, alphabetized scroll of school districts, businesses, and organizations.
The Mobile App: You can download the Dakota News Now app (available for iOS and Android). By enabling weather alerts, you can receive push notifications for significant regional snow alerts.
On-Air Broadcasts: During severe weather events, closings are displayed on the “crawl” at the bottom of the screen during morning, noon, and evening newscasts on both KSFY (ABC) and KDLT (NBC).

Understanding Typical Weather Announcements

When a superintendent makes the call—usually between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM—they typically use specific terminology to describe the change in schedule:

Status	Details
Closed / No School	All classes and school-sponsored activities are canceled for the day.
2-Hour Delay	School and bus pickups begin exactly two hours later than the normal start time. Typically, no breakfast is served and morning preschool is canceled.
Early Out	Students are dismissed early (often 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM) to ensure buses can complete their routes before road conditions deteriorate further.
E-Learning Day	Physical buildings are closed, but students are expected to log in and complete assignments remotely.

Why Decisions are Made

The decision to close or delay school is a complex one. Superintendents in the Sioux Falls and surrounding rural districts coordinate with:

The Dakota News Now First Alert Weather Team: To track the timing of freezing rain, snow accumulation, and wind speeds.
City and County DPW: To determine if plows have cleared main arteries and if side streets are navigable for heavy buses.
Surrounding Districts: Often, neighboring districts (like Brandon Valley, Tea Area, and Harrisburg) will coordinate timing to ensure consistency for families and staff who live in one town but work in another.

Pro-Tip: If your school district isn’t on the list yet, it may be because the superintendent is still evaluating the roads. Check back every 15 minutes, as the list updates instantly when new data is received.

KDLT-TV, virtual channel 46, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The station is owned by Gray Television.-Wikipedia