Will Fayette County schools close Tuesday? What to know as nasty winter weather moves in
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Kentucky is hit with significant winter storm
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for many areas of the state.
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Could Mother Nature provide an extra day of holiday break to Fayette County students come Tuesday morning?
Fayette County Public Schools officials said in a Facebook post Friday they’re actively monitoring the potential winter weather system that may impact the district’s return from winter break Tuesday.
To be best prepared for a possible change to the school schedule, families were asked to review the winter weather procedures at fcps.net/weather and update the family’s contact preferences in Campus Parent at fcps.net/icupdate.
Kentucky is under a winter storm watch for possible snow and ice Sunday and Monday, followed by cold weather the rest of next week.
During winter, a team of district employees monitors the weather conditions along with meteorologists and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Streets and Roads Division, the district website said.
When temperatures are predicted to reach extreme lows, the district considers a combination of factors — including ambient temperature, wind chill, precipitation, road conditions, sidewalk conditions and weather forecasts — in deciding whether to use a Non-Traditional Instruction day, cancel school or delay the start of school.
The district has not set a specific temperature but would start considering a change to the school schedule if temperatures were forecast to be below zero and/or a wind chill advisory has been issued.
The National Weather Service issues a wind chill advisory when wind chills of -10 to -24 degrees are expected and a wind chill warning when wind chills of -25 or lower are expected.
“Student safety is the district’s top priority,” officials said,.
They added officials “try to ensure that school buildings are a warm, safe, and ideal place for students to be when the weather is extremely cold.”
The district said it “relies on families to make sure children are dressed appropriately. Ideally, students need winter hats, gloves, heavy coats and boots. Layering thin pieces of dry clothing is best in extremely low temperatures.”
Parents who need help with winter clothing should ask at their child’s school.
“Weather and road conditions vary throughout Lexington. One end of the county might be clear, while other areas of town are dangerous. With student safety as the guiding priority, FCPS makes decisions based on what’s best for the whole community,” officials said.
“The district also respects the right of each family to make different choices based on what they feel is best for their children’s safety.”
A staff work day is scheduled for Monday. But on Saturday, district officials said they will share an update regarding Monday’s work schedule on Sunday afternoon once they have a clearer picture of conditions.
Correction: A previous version of this story and headline gave an incorrect day for when students in Fayette County are scheduled to return from winter break.
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 5:15 PM.
