Montana School Closings

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Montana School Closings Today — Live Delays & Cancellations

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MONTANA SCHOOL CLOSINGS

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🌤 Live Weather

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District Status

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Montana's largest district anchors the eastern plains region. Fast-moving blizzards off open terrain can drop temperatures and visibility simultaneously — KULR8 (NBC) is the primary local TV source. Closures are often announced the evening before when overnight blizzard warnings are issued.

Billings Public Schools

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Havre Public Schools

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Mountain valley communities face closures from heavy snowfall on surrounding passes and temperature inversions causing dense valley fog and icy roads. KPAX-TV (CBS) is the leading source for Missoula and western Montana.

Missoula County Public Schools

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Kalispell Public Schools

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One of Montana's windiest cities — Arctic air off the Rocky Mountain Front can drive wind chills to -40°F or lower, making outdoor bus stops genuinely dangerous. ABC FOX Montana is the primary TV source for Great Falls and surrounding communities.

Great Falls Public Schools

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Bozeman monitors Bozeman Pass conditions on I-90 for students and buses from outlying communities. Butte sits at high elevation in Silver Bow County with severe winter exposure. NBC Montana covers both communities statewide.

Bozeman School District

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Butte School District

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Helena sits in the Prickly Pear Valley between mountain ranges, with exposure to both Pacific moisture from the west and Arctic outbreaks from the north. ABC FOX Montana and KTVH NBC 12 are the primary local sources.

Helena Public Schools

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⚠️ Always confirm with your school district directly. This page is for reference only.

Today's Daily Updates

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Quick Tools

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Likelihood of closure tomorrow

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Frequently Asked Questions

Check the live district status table above for real-time closures. Most Montana superintendents aim to announce by 6:00 AM. For major blizzards or extreme cold events, announcements often come the night before — as early as 9:00–10:00 PM.

The fastest methods are: (1) sign up for alerts on this page, (2) register in your district's parent notification system (most use School Messenger or ParentSquare), and (3) follow your local TV station — KULR8 and NBC Montana in Billings, KPAX in Missoula, and ABC FOX Montana in Great Falls and Helena are the leading sources.

Most Montana superintendents aim for a final decision by 6:00 AM. For overnight blizzards, whiteout conditions, or extreme cold warnings, many districts announce the night before — typically by 9:00–10:00 PM. Rural districts with long bus routes tend to decide earliest.

Yes. Montana allows districts to apply for Declared Inclement Weather Day status through the Office of Public Instruction (OPI), enabling closures to count as remote learning days rather than requiring make-up days at year end. Many districts have adopted local alternative learning day plans — check your district's parent portal or School Messenger account to confirm whether a closure is designated as a remote learning day and to access any assigned work.

There is no single statewide threshold, but many Montana districts have adopted wind chill policies that trigger closures or bus cancellations when wind chill values fall below -20°F to -30°F. Extreme cold advisories from the National Weather Service often prompt superintendent decisions regardless of snowfall.

Yes. Blizzard conditions — heavy snow combined with high winds reducing visibility to near zero — are among the most common school-closure triggers in Montana. Rural districts with long bus routes are especially vulnerable since roads can become impassable within minutes of a blizzard developing.

Understanding Alert Levels

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School Closed

All in-person classes cancelled. May be designated as a Declared Inclement Weather Day — students complete remote work through the district's learning platform.

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Delayed Start

1- or 2-hour late start. Bus pickups shift accordingly. Breakfast is typically not served on delay days.

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Early Dismissal

Students released early, usually when a winter storm or blizzard is forecast to intensify during afternoon bus routes.

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Open / Normal

Schools operating on regular schedule. Monitor for updates if weather conditions change during the day.

Where to Find Real-Time Updates

How Decisions Are Made

Check the latest Montana school closings, delays, and cancellations today. This page monitors real-time announcements from school districts across Montana — including Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, and Helena. Most district decisions are posted by 6:00 AM, with major blizzard or extreme cold announcements often arriving the night before.

School closures in Montana are most commonly triggered by blizzards and whiteout conditions, extreme cold wind chills, heavy snow on mountain passes and rural routes, and spring flooding. Districts work closely with the National Weather Service offices in Great Falls, Billings, and Missoula, as well as county Emergency Management offices, to monitor fast-moving winter systems that can make bus routes impassable within hours — particularly in eastern Montana where wind-driven snow can shut down highways with little warning.

Montana allows districts to apply for Declared Inclement Weather Day status through the Office of Public Instruction (OPI), enabling closures to count as remote learning days rather than requiring make-up days at year end. Many districts have adopted local alternative learning day plans — check your district's parent portal or School Messenger account to confirm whether a closure is designated as a remote learning day and to access any assigned work.

Find Montana School Closings by ZIP Code

Districts grouped by geographic region. Each entry lists the ZIP codes served and key communities — so you can find your district without knowing its official name.

🗺 South-Central Montana · Yellowstone Valley

Billings Public Schools (SD 2)

Billings city proper, Yellowstone County — Montana’s largest district (~17,000 students), serving the Heights, West End, downtown, and south-side neighborhoods.

ZIP codes served:

59101 · 59102 · 59105 · 59106

Also uses PO/unique ZIPs: 59107, 59108, 59111, 59112, 59114, 59115, 59116, 59117 (business/PO Box — residential delivery via the four standard ZIPs above)

🗺 Southwest Montana · Rocky Mountain Corridor

Bozeman School District 7

Bozeman city, Four Corners, Gallatin Gateway, Bridger — Gallatin County’s fastest-growing district, home to Montana State University. Includes subdivisions west and south of Bozeman along I-90/US-191.

ZIP codes served:

59715 · 59718 · 59719 · 59771

59714 (Manhattan) and 59714 (Amsterdam) are adjacent but served by separate rural districts; confirm your address at bsd7.org.

Butte School District No. 1

Butte city, Walkerville, Silver Bow County — historic mining community consolidated as a unified city-county government. The district covers the Butte urban area exclusively; surrounding rural communities (Anaconda, Divide) have their own small districts.

ZIP codes served:

59701 · 59703

59750 (Butte PO Box annex) and 59759 (Whitehall area) are adjacent but separate districts.

Helena Public Schools (SD 1)

Helena city, East Helena (partially), Lewis and Clark County — Montana’s state capital district. Covers the valley floor neighborhoods, the Capitol area, and surrounding foothills subdivisions.

ZIP codes served:

59601 · 59602 · 59635

59604 (Helena PO Box) is the same city but not a residential delivery ZIP. East Helena (59635) partially overlaps with East Helena School District — check your street address if near the city limits.

🗺 Western Montana · Glacier Country & Missoula Valley

Missoula County Public Schools (SD 1)

Missoula city, Seeley Lake, Lolo (partially), Missoula County — western Montana’s largest district (~8,800 students). Serves neighborhoods across the Clark Fork valley including University District, Rattlesnake, and South Hills, plus the Seeley-Swan corridor.

ZIP codes served:

59801 · 59802 · 59803 · 59804 · 59808 · 59820 (Alberton area/Seeley corridor)

Lolo (59847) is shared between MCPS and Lolo School District — verify by address at mcpsmt.org. 59808 (Target Range area north of Missoula) is served by MCPS.

Kalispell Public School District 5

Kalispell city, Flathead County — gateway to Glacier National Park. Serves the core Kalispell urban area including Evergreen (partially). High schools: Flathead High and Glacier High. Many surrounding rural communities (Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Whitefish) have their own separate districts within Flathead County.

ZIP codes served:

59901 · 59904

59901 covers a large geographic footprint that includes multiple other rural Flathead County districts. Kalispell city proper is served by SD 5; confirm at sd5.k12.mt.us boundary maps for outlying addresses.

🗺 North-Central Montana · Hi-Line & Rocky Mountain Front

Great Falls Public Schools (Elementary SD & High School SD)

Great Falls city, Black Eagle, Malmstrom AFB area, Cascade County — third-largest city in Montana, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base. One of Montana’s windiest cities; extreme Arctic wind chills are the primary closure trigger. Covers the city’s north, south, and central neighborhoods.

ZIP codes served:

59401 · 59404 · 59405 · 59402 (Malmstrom AFB)

59414 (Black Eagle) is largely within the Great Falls district service area. 59403/59406 are PO Box ZIPs, not residential delivery areas.

Havre Public Schools (SD 16)

Havre city, Hill County — the largest Hi-Line community, positioned along US-2 near the Canadian border. Home to Montana State University–Northern. Hi-Line blizzards and Arctic outbreaks from Canada are the dominant closure triggers for this district.

ZIP codes served:

59501

Surrounding small communities on the Hi-Line (Chinook 59523, Harlem 59526, Malta 59538) have their own separate rural districts — all commonly searched alongside Havre during Hi-Line weather events.

⚠️ ZIP Code Overlap Warning

The following ZIP codes are served by more than one district or fall on district boundary lines. If you live in one of these ZIPs, confirm your district using your street address rather than ZIP alone.

59635 (East Helena) — Overlaps Helena Public Schools (SD 1) and East Helena School District. The city limit runs through this ZIP; consult helenaschools.org or easthelena.k12.mt.us.
59847 (Lolo) — Falls within both Missoula County Public Schools and Lolo School District boundaries. Verify at mcpsmt.org using your street address.
59901 (Kalispell / greater Flathead area) — This is an extremely large geographic ZIP that encompasses Kalispell SD 5 plus multiple smaller rural Flathead County elementary districts (Cayuse Prairie, Creston, Helena Flats, West Valley, Smith Valley, and others). Use the boundary map at maps.flathead.mt.gov to locate your school district.
59715 / 59718 (Bozeman metro) — Areas south and west of Bozeman in these ZIPs may fall under Bozeman SD 7’s high school district but a different elementary district. Four Corners and Gallatin Gateway addresses should verify enrollment boundaries at bsd7.org.

🔔 Frequently Searched Neighboring Districts

These bordering-state or adjacent districts are commonly searched by Montana families during regional weather events:

Coeur d’Alene School District (Idaho) — US-2 corridor communities near the Idaho panhandle border frequently search alongside Kalispell-area closings during Pacific storm systems.
Sheridan County School District 1 (Wyoming / Sheridan) — Searched alongside Billings closings during major High Plains blizzards tracking north along the Bighorn front.
Williston Public Schools (North Dakota) — Hi-Line and northeast Montana families near the ND border track Williston and Williams County closings during shared Arctic outbreak events (ZIPs: 58801, 58802).
Lethbridge School District 51 (Alberta, Canada) — Havre-area families near the border occasionally reference Canadian district status when the same Arctic front produces closures on both sides of the border.

All Montana School District ZIP Codes · Master Index

59101 59102 59105 59106 59107 59108 59111 59112 59114 59115 59116 59117
59401 59402 59404 59405 59414
59501
59601 59602 59635
59701 59703
59715 59718 59719 59771
59801 59802 59803 59804 59808 59820
59901 59904

Montana school closings · school delays · school cancellations · snow days Montana · Montana school districts by ZIP code · Billings school closings · Missoula school closings · Great Falls school closings · Bozeman school closings · Helena school closings · Kalispell school closings · Butte school closings · Havre school closings