Washington DC School Closings Today — Live Status & Delays (District of Columbia)

Are Washington DC 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 DC Public Schools and surrounding districts. In the meantime, check directly: DC Public Schools (dcps.dc.gov), WUSA9, or FOX 5 DC.

Skip to board status

Live status monitored for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), DC Public Charter Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), and Arlington County Public Schools (APS).

How Are Washington DC School Closures Announced?

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) announces school closures and delays through several official channels. The primary source is the DCPS School Closings and Delays page at dcps.dc.gov, which is updated first — typically by 5:00 AM on the day of the closure, or the evening before when a significant winter storm is forecast. Families enrolled in DCPS also receive automated alerts through ParentSquare and SchoolMessenger, which push notifications to parent phones and email addresses on file. The DC government’s main website (dc.gov) and social media channels are also updated when a system-wide closure is declared.

For Washington DC’s 115+ public charter schools, the process is different. The DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) does not issue system-wide closure orders — each charter school makes its own independent decision. This means DCPS could be closed while some charter schools remain open, and vice versa. Parents of charter school students should check their school’s individual website, the school’s ParentSquare app notifications, or call the school directly. Local TV stations — WUSA9, WJLA ABC 7, FOX 5 DC, and NBC4 Washington — aggregate closure lists from both DCPS and individual charter schools and are a reliable secondary source. For suburban districts, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) uses ParentNotify robocalls and its website at montgomeryschoolsmd.org, while Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) uses its alert system at pgcps.org.

What Weather Causes Washington DC School Closings?

Snow and blizzard conditions: Even 2–4 inches of snow can trigger closures in DC because the region’s road infrastructure and salt stockpiles are sized for a city that averages only 14–17 inches of snow per year. Hills in Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and Northwest DC become dangerous rapidly.
Freezing rain and ice storms: Black ice on DC’s older road surfaces is the most common trigger for school delays. Bridges and overpasses — including those over Rock Creek and the Anacostia River — freeze significantly faster than surrounding roads and are a major safety concern for school buses.
Nor’easters: The DC metro area sits directly in the path of major nor’easters tracking up the Atlantic coast. These storms can rapidly drop 6–18+ inches of snow and frequently result in multi-day closures for DC, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County schools.
Wintry mix (sleet/freezing rain combinations): Precipitation type transitions are common in DC’s location between colder inland air and warmer coastal air. A storm forecast as rain can quickly turn to sleet or freezing rain, creating hazardous conditions with little warning.
Extreme cold and wind chill: When wind chill values drop below 0°F, DCPS and surrounding districts may issue 2-hour delays or closures to protect students waiting at bus stops, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods where bus shelter coverage is limited.
Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding: Washington DC is prone to summer flash flooding, particularly along Rock Creek, Watts Branch, and low-lying areas of the Anacostia watershed. Extreme rainfall events can make roads impassable for school buses and trigger early dismissals.
Excessive heat: Many older DC public school buildings lack air conditioning. During extreme heat events — typically heat index values above 95°F sustained over multiple days — DCPS may close schools or dismiss early to protect student and staff health.
Dense fog: Heavy fog along the Potomac and Anacostia river corridors can reduce visibility to dangerous levels for school bus drivers, occasionally triggering 2-hour delays.

Frequently Asked Questions — Washington DC School Closings

How early does DCPS announce school closures?

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) aims to announce closures and delays by 5:00 AM on the day of the closure. When a major winter storm is forecast well in advance, DCPS tries to issue the announcement the evening before — typically by 9:00 PM — so families can arrange childcare. The announcement appears first on the DCPS closings page, then goes out via ParentSquare notifications, and is picked up quickly by local TV stations WUSA9, WJLA, and FOX 5 DC.

Do DC Public Charter Schools close when DCPS closes?

Not automatically. DC’s 115+ public charter schools each make independent closure decisions. The DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) does not issue system-wide orders, so a DCPS closure does not automatically close charter schools. In practice, many charter schools follow DCPS during major weather events, but parents should always verify with their specific school’s website, ParentSquare app, or direct phone call. This page monitors the DCPCSB and major charter networks separately from DCPS.

Why do Washington DC schools close for relatively little snow?

Washington DC and the surrounding metro area close schools more readily during winter weather than northern cities because the region’s infrastructure is less equipped to handle ice and snow. DC averages only 14–17 inches of snow per year, so road salt stockpiles, plow fleets, and bus routes aren’t scaled for prolonged winter conditions. Steep hills in neighborhoods like Georgetown, Capitol Hill, and the neighborhoods of Northwest DC become treacherous quickly. Bridges over Rock Creek and the Anacostia River freeze significantly faster than surrounding roads, creating dangerous conditions for school buses even when main roads appear passable.

Which Washington DC TV stations report school closings?

The primary local TV stations reporting Washington DC and metro-area school closings are WUSA9 (CBS), WJLA ABC 7, FOX 5 DC (WTTG), and NBC4 Washington (WRC-TV). All four stations maintain dedicated school closings pages and scroll district names on-screen during active closure events. This page automatically monitors all major stations alongside official district websites, so you get the fastest available detection without checking multiple sources.

Does a Washington DC closure affect Maryland and Virginia schools?

Not necessarily. DCPS, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), and Arlington County Public Schools (APS) each make entirely independent closure decisions, even when facing the same storm. It is common for DCPS to close while MCPS issues a 2-hour delay, or for PGCPS to close while APS remains open — or any other combination. This page tracks all five jurisdictions simultaneously so you see the complete picture for the DC metro area at a glance.

How often is this Washington DC school closings page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions, or every 5 minutes during active weather alerts affecting the District of Columbia. During winter storm events and nor’easters, the page refreshes more frequently in the background to catch last-minute announcements from DCPS, charter schools, and suburban districts.

Washington DC-Area School Roster

This page monitors school closings for the following schools across all covered districts.

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) — High Schools

Anacostia High School
Ballou High School
Banneker High School
Bell Multicultural High School
Cardozo Education Campus
Columbia Heights Education Campus
Coolidge High School
Dunbar High School
Eastern High School
Ellington School of the Arts
H.D. Woodson High School
Ida B. Wells Middle School
Jackson-Reed High School
Luke C. Moore High School
McKinley Technology High School
Ron Brown College Preparatory High School
School Without Walls Senior High School
Spingarn School of the Arts
Woodrow Wilson High School (Jackson-Reed)

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) — Middle Schools

Eliot-Hine Middle School
Hardy Middle School
Hart Middle School
Jefferson Middle School Academy
Johnson Middle School
Kramer Middle School
MacFarland Middle School
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (MS)
Paul Junior High School
Raymond Education Campus
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
Takoma Education Campus
Walker-Jones Education Campus
West Education Campus

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) — Elementary Schools

Amidon-Bowen Elementary
Barnard Elementary
Beers Elementary
Brent Elementary
Brightwood Education Campus
Brown Education Campus
Bruce Monroe Community School
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan
Cleveland Elementary
Concord Elementary
Drew Elementary
Eaton Elementary
Ferebee-Hope Elementary
Garfield Elementary
Garrison Elementary
H.D. Cooke Elementary
Hearst Elementary
Houston Elementary
Janney Elementary
JO Wilson Elementary
Key Elementary
Lafayette Elementary
Langdon Elementary
Leckie Education Campus
Ludlow-Taylor Elementary
Maury Elementary
Miner Elementary
Murch Elementary
Nalle Elementary
Orr Elementary
Payne Elementary
Peabody Elementary
Powell Elementary
Ross Elementary
Savoy Elementary
Seaton Elementary
Simon Elementary
Smothers Elementary
Stanton Elementary
Stoddert Elementary
Thurston Elementary
Truesdell Education Campus
Turner Elementary
Tyler Elementary
Van Ness Elementary
Watkins Elementary
Whittier Education Campus

DC Public Charter Schools — High Schools

KIPP DC — College Preparatory
Thurgood Marshall Academy
Washington Latin Public Charter School (HS)
DC International School
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School (HS)
Friendship Collegiate Academy
Rocketship Rise Academy (HS)
Achievement Prep (HS)

DC Public Charter Schools — Middle Schools

KIPP DC — Promise Academy
Cesar Chavez Public Charter School (MS)
Capital City Public Charter School (MS)
Two Rivers Public Charter School (MS)
Washington Latin Public Charter School (MS)

DC Public Charter Schools — Elementary Schools

KIPP DC — Spring Academy
Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School
AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School
Creative Minds International PCS
Roots Public Charter School
The Children’s Guild DC PCS
Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School
Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS
BASIS DC PCS
Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) — High Schools

Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Blair High School
Churchill High School
Damascus High School
Einstein High School
Gaithersburg High School
Kennedy High School
Magruder High School
Northwest High School
Paint Branch High School
Quince Orchard High School
Richard Montgomery High School
Rockville High School
Seneca Valley High School
Sherwood High School
Springbrook High School
Wheaton High School
Whitman High School
Wootton High School

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) — Middle Schools

Argyle Middle School
Briggs Chaney Middle School
Cabin John Middle School
Eastern Middle School
Forest Oak Middle School
Frost Middle School
Hoover Middle School
Julius West Middle School
Loiederman Middle School
Parkland Middle School
Shady Grove Middle School
Sligo Middle School
Tilden Middle School
White Oak Middle School

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) — Elementary Schools

Ashburton Elementary
Bethesda Elementary
Bradley Hills Elementary
Burnt Mills Elementary
Cold Spring Elementary
Clopper Mill Elementary
Damascus Elementary
Fallsmead Elementary
Flower Hill Elementary
Georgian Forest Elementary
Goshen Elementary
Greenwood Elementary
Harmony Hills Elementary
Highland Elementary
Jackson Road Elementary
Laytonsville Elementary
Meadow Hall Elementary
Montgomery Knolls Elementary
Monocacy Elementary
Sequoyah Elementary
Sherwood Elementary
South Lake Elementary
Stonegate Elementary
Strathmore Elementary
Whetstone Elementary

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) — High Schools

Bowie High School
Central High School
Charles H. Flowers High School
DuVal High School
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Fairmont Heights High School
High Point High School
Largo High School
Laurel High School
Northwestern High School
Oxon Hill High School
Parkdale High School
Suitland High School
Wise High School

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) — Middle Schools

Buck Lodge Middle School
Ernest E. Just Middle School
James Madison Middle School
Kenmoor Middle School
Kettering Middle School
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
Nicholas Orem Middle School
Oxon Hill Middle School
William Wirt Middle School

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) — Elementary Schools

Ardmore Elementary
Avalon Elementary
Berkshire Elementary
Bond Mill Elementary
Chillum Elementary
Concord Elementary
Cooper Lane Elementary
Cora L. Rice Elementary
Enterprise Elementary
Gaywood Elementary
Greenfield Elementary
High Bridge Elementary
John H. Bayne Elementary
Kenmoor Elementary
Kingsford Elementary
Lewisdale Elementary
McNair Elementary
Morgan Boulevard Elementary
Mount Rainier Elementary
Panorama Elementary
Phyllis E. Williams Elementary
Springhill Lake Elementary
Suitland Elementary
Tayac Elementary

Arlington County Public Schools (APS) — High Schools

Wakefield High School
Washington-Liberty High School
Yorktown High School
H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program

Arlington County Public Schools (APS) — Middle Schools

Dorothy Hamm Middle School
Gunston Middle School
Jefferson Middle School
Kenmore Middle School
Swanson Middle School
Thomas Jefferson Middle School

Arlington County Public Schools (APS) — Elementary Schools

Abingdon Elementary
Arlington Science Focus School
Arlington Traditional School
Ashlawn Elementary
Barcroft Elementary
Barrett Elementary
Campbell Elementary
Cardinal Elementary
Carlin Springs Elementary
Claremont Immersion Elementary
Drew Model Elementary
Fleet Elementary
Glebe Elementary
Henry Elementary
Hoffman-Boston Elementary
Jamestown Elementary
Key Elementary
Long Branch Elementary
McKinley Elementary
Nottingham Elementary
Oakridge Elementary
Randolph Elementary
Taylor Elementary
Tuckahoe Elementary
Yorktown Elementary

🔧 Quick School Tools

📋 Is my school open today? Enter your district for live status ❄️ Snow day predictor Tomorrow's closure likelihood by ZIP 🗺️ School closure dashboard Live closure map across all states 🚌 Bus alert checker Weather delays near your address 🏥 School health dashboard Illness trends affecting attendance 📅 School days countdown How many school days are left?

📰 School Updates

Latest School News

Stay informed with the most recent announcements & events.

📌

Tags:Live Updates