Memphis School Closings Today — Live Status & Delays (Tennessee)

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

⚠️ JavaScript is required to display live school status.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser, then reload this page to see current closure and delay information for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. In the meantime, check directly: Memphis-Shelby County Schools (scsk12.org), WREG News Channel 3, or ABC24 Local Memphis.

Skip to board status

Live status monitored for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS).

How Memphis-Shelby County Schools Announces Closures

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is Tennessee’s largest public school district and serves more than 110,000 students across 222 campuses in Shelby County. When severe weather or other hazards threaten the district, MSCS aims to issue a closure or delay decision the evening before the affected school day — ideally by 10 PM — giving families overnight time to arrange childcare, transportation, and schedules. If dangerous conditions develop rapidly overnight, the district will post an alert and send automated communications by 5 AM at the latest.

MSCS uses the ParentSquare platform as its primary direct-to-family communication tool, sending push notifications, emails, and automated calls to enrolled families. The district also publishes closure decisions on its official website at scsk12.org and broadcasts announcements through local Memphis TV stations — WREG News Channel 3 (CBS), WMC Action News 5 (NBC), and ABC24 (Local Memphis). Families are encouraged to follow @MSCSK12 on social media for real-time status updates. Because MSCS is an urban district operating more than 222 school campuses, it may close or delay individual schools while others remain open — particularly during localized infrastructure issues or neighborhood-level flooding. Always confirm your specific school’s status through the MSCS school finder at scsk12.org.

Weather Risks That Trigger Memphis School Closures

Winter ice storms and freezing rain — The most common cause of MSCS closures. Even a thin glaze of ice on Memphis roads and bridges is extremely hazardous; the city has limited de-icing equipment and few drivers with winter-driving experience.
Sleet and freezing drizzle — Sleet accumulations of even a fraction of an inch can coat sidewalks, parking lots, and bus stops, making it unsafe for students to travel to school.
Severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreaks — The Mid-South sits in a secondary tornado alley. Spring severe weather events, particularly those involving multiple tornado warnings across Shelby County, frequently prompt early dismissals or preemptive closures.
Flash flooding — Intense rainfall events can submerge low-lying roads throughout Memphis and along Wolf River and South Fork Wolf River tributaries, cutting off bus routes and making travel dangerous for students and staff.
Extreme cold temperatures — Dangerously low wind chills below 0°F can prompt delays or closures, particularly when combined with long bus-stop wait times for students in under-resourced areas without adequate shelter.
Dense fog on the Mississippi River bridges — Heavy fog events occasionally reduce visibility to near zero on the Hernando de Soto and Memphis-Arkansas bridges, disrupting bus routes for students crossing from Arkansas and affecting staff commutes from DeSoto County.

Frequently Asked Questions — Memphis School Closings

How early does Memphis-Shelby County Schools announce school closures?

MSCS aims to announce closures or delays by 10 PM the evening before the affected school day whenever conditions allow. If dangerous weather develops overnight, the district will notify families and post status updates by 5 AM. Families receive alerts through the ParentSquare app (push notification, email, and automated call). You can also check the official MSCS website at scsk12.org and follow @MSCSK12 on social media for real-time updates.

Which Memphis TV stations report school closings?

The three primary Memphis television stations that report school closings for MSCS and the broader Mid-South area are WREG News Channel 3 (CBS, wreg.com/weather/closings/), WMC Action News 5 (NBC, wmcactionnews5.com), and ABC24 Local Memphis (localmemphis.com/closings). This page automatically monitors all three stations alongside the official MSCS district website, so you get the fastest available confirmation without visiting multiple sources.

Why would Memphis schools close — doesn’t it rarely snow there?

Memphis school closures are overwhelmingly caused by winter ice storms and freezing rain rather than snow accumulation. Even a thin coating of ice on Memphis roads makes driving treacherous because the city lacks adequate de-icing equipment and most residents have little experience driving on ice. Closures also result from severe tornado outbreaks during spring storm season, flash flooding during heavy rainfall, extreme cold snaps, and dense fog events that reduce visibility on the Mississippi River bridges used by many bus routes.

Can MSCS close individual schools while others stay open?

Yes. Memphis-Shelby County Schools operates more than 222 campuses across Shelby County. In cases of localized flooding, infrastructure problems, or building-specific issues, MSCS may close or delay specific schools while the rest of the district operates on a normal schedule. Always verify your specific school’s status through the MSCS school finder at scsk12.org or by calling the school directly before assuming a district-wide closure applies to your child’s campus.

How often is this Memphis school closings page updated?

This page checks official MSCS feeds and local TV station sources automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions, and every 5 minutes during active weather alerts. During active winter ice storms or severe thunderstorm outbreaks, data refreshes more frequently in the background. The status shown reflects the most recent check of official district and media sources and is timestamped in the live widget above.

How do I sign up for MSCS school closing alerts?

Enrolled MSCS families receive closure alerts automatically through the ParentSquare platform — ensure your contact information is current in the district’s PowerSchool system to receive calls, texts, and app notifications. You can also use the email alert signup in the widget above to receive early-morning alerts from schools-closings.com before the district’s official post. Additionally, following @MSCSK12 on social media provides real-time status posts during weather events.