Washington School Closings

Check the latest Washington school closings, delays, and cancellations today. This page monitors real-time announcements from school districts across Washington state — including Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Olympia — with updates posted throughout the morning. Most districts aim to announce by 5:30 AM, though west-side decisions often come the night before when snowfall is forecast.

School closures in Washington are most commonly triggered by snow and ice west of the Cascades, where even 1–2 inches can paralyze hilly roads that lack adequate treatment infrastructure. Eastern Washington districts face severe cold snaps, blizzards, and wind chill events that endanger students at outdoor bus stops. Coastal and western districts also close for flooding, windstorms, and in rare cases wildfire smoke affecting air quality. Superintendents coordinate closely with the Washington State Emergency Management Division, local National Weather Service offices in Seattle and Spokane, and county Emergency Management Agencies before making final decisions.

Washington state allows districts to designate closure days as Asynchronous Learning Days, meaning students complete work remotely so the day counts toward required instructional hours without needing to be made up later in the calendar. Policies vary by district — check your district's parent portal (most use ParentSquare, Skyward, or School Messenger) for confirmation on whether a given closure day will be treated as an Asynchronous Learning Day.