Community Corner

Will Gwinnett Schools Be Closed for Weather on Friday?

Snow, sleet and black ice are possible. Like others, GCPS officials are monitoring the situation.

Suwanee and Gwinnett parents, be forewarned. It could be a last-minute decision early Friday (January 18) before Gwinnett County school officials decide whether to cancel classes for that day.

As of now, classes are still on for Friday, according to Gwinnett Schools' spokesperson Jorge Quintana. He added that the policy for the system, which has more than 160,000 students, is to wait as late as 6 a.m. on the given day before deciding whether to postpone classes for that day.

And given the nature of the current weather forecasts, it likely will be a last-minute decision. The National Weather service has talked of the possibility of snow and black ice late Thursday and into early Friday.

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Black ice is roadway ice from residual moisture, not from what falls during a current weather system.

Quintana said in an email that the decision is made after transportation employees test the roads very early in the morning to make sure it is safe for school buses to travel on. "We also work very closely with other agencies who monitor road conditions," he said.

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He added that parents and students should always check the GCPS website before 6 a.m., where a message about schools' status that day would be posted.

The National Weather Service's latest prediction says:

Rain and snow likely, mainly before 9 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Northwest wind 10 to 15 m.p.h, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

-- How are you preparing for the current severe weather? Do you think GCPS should decide earlier whether to cancel classes for a given day? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Material from Peachtree Corners Patch was used in this report.

Don’t miss any Suwanee or Gwinnett news. Subscribe to Suwanee Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Suwanee