Montgomery County public schools will open two hours late Wednesday and Thursday due to “frigid temperatures and icy conditions,” Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
“Plowing school lots and walkways and addressing overnight refreezing has been challenging due to the cold temperatures,” MCPS said in the statement.
The cold weather also is impacting after-school activities Tuesday. MCPS canceled all activities, after-school events and athletics scheduled for 5:30 p.m. or later, although child care programs remain open.
According to MCPS statement, all schools and offices, before-school and child care programs will open two hours late Wednesday and Thursday. 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.
Wednesday and Thursday will mark the second and third days that MCPS schools and offices will open two hours late. On Tuesday, MCPS delayed opening by two hours 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,” according to a Monday statement from the district.
Tuesday’s statement said maintenance problems are being prioritized for repair to ensure heat, water and electrical service isn’t impacted.
Extreme cold continues
According to the National Weather Service in Baltimore/Washington D.C., the county could see a low of 8 degrees Tuesday night with wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees. Wednesday may see a high of roughly 19 degrees and wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees. Thursday is expected to be warmer, with a high near 32 degrees and a low of roughly 15 degrees.
The National Weather Service issued a Cold Weather Advisory on Monday afternoon to run from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Thursday.
Schools are expected to end classes at normal dismissal times Wednesday and Thursday.
