Montgomery County public schools will open two hours late Tuesday due to snow and “extremely cold temperatures” resulting in “dangerous conditions on roads, sidewalks, and parking lots, especially in the more northern areas of our county,” Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) said in a statement Monday night.
Temperatures will continue to remain extremely cold, so ice issues addressed Monday will refreeze overnight, which will further impact travel conditions, the statement said.
In preparation for the low temperatures, MCPS building staff are inspecting facilities to ensure heating systems and water services are functioning properly.
According to the National Weather Service in Baltimore/Washington D.C., the county could see a low of 9 degrees Monday night with wind chills as low as zero degrees. Tuesday may see a high of roughly 21 degrees, with a chance of flurries after 10 a.m.
According to the MCPS statement, all schools and offices, before-school and child care programs will open two hours late Tuesday. Field trips and other programs that begin at 10:30 a.m. or earlier are canceled, as well as infant and toddler appointments scheduled before 10 a.m.
Morning pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs are canceled, while afternoon pre-kindergarten and Head Start programs will begin at their regularly scheduled times, the statement said.
School will end at normal dismissal time. All outdoor activities will occur inside, according to the statement.
