List of Schools Closed in 5 US States Amid Dangerous Winter Storm

Several schools in the U.S. have announced closures and remote learning plans this week following a winter advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

A rare winter storm is reportedly bringing dangerously cold temperatures, heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain to much of the South and Eastern United States, causing widespread disruptions.

The National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center warns that these hazardous conditions will persist from Wednesday, January 23, through Friday, January 24. In response, several schools in five states have announced closures to prioritize safety.

In North Carolina, schools fully closed on Wednesday, January 22, according to WBTV. These included Gaston County Schools, Kannapolis City Schools, Hickory Grove Christian School, Lake Norman Christian School, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Gaston Christian School (Gastonia), Gaston Christian School (Kings Mountain), Gaston Day School, Northside Academy for Early Learning, Union County Public Schools, and Weddington Christian Academy.

Victory Christian Academy also closed, while Anson County Schools and Sugar Creek Charter School transitioned to remote learning. Cleveland County Schools are also closed but designated the day as an optional teacher workday. In South Carolina, hazardous weather prompted the closure of Clover School District and Lancaster County Schools on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Education reports that all K-12 schools in the following counties are closed on Wednesday: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Leon, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.

The Madison County Schools will remain closed through Thursday, January 23.

Florida's colleges, including Chipola College, Florida Gateway College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Gulf Coast State College, North Florida College, Northwest Florida State College, Pensacola State College, Santa Fe College, and Tallahassee State College, also suspended operations on Wednesday.

Additionally, universities such as Florida A&M University, Florida State University, the University of North Florida, and the University of West Florida closed their campuses on the same day.

In Georgia, school closures on Wednesday were widespread across the Atlanta area, as reported by Atlanta News First. Districts affected included Atlanta Public Schools, Barrow County School System, Butts County Schools, Clarke County School District, Coweta County Schools, Dalton Public Schools, Griffin-Spalding County School System, and Hebron Christian Academy.

Additional closures included Henry County Schools, Jackson County School System, Jefferson City Schools, Murray County Schools, Newton County Schools, Pike County Public Schools, Putnam County Charter School System, Thomaston-Upson County Schools, Troup County School System, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, and the University of Georgia.

Remote learning was implemented by Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta universities, along with the City Schools of Decatur, Clayton County Public Schools, DeKalb County School District, Forsyth County Schools, Fulton County School System, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Meriwether County School System, and Rockdale County Public Schools.

In New Orleans, public schools, including charter schools and the district-run Leah Chase School, are reportedly closed through Thursday. Nearby, public schools in Jefferson Parish, St. Tammany Parish, St. Bernard Parish, and St. Charles Parish were also closed on Wednesday, along with all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Delgado Community College and Loyola University New Orleans canceled classes on Wednesday. Dillard University, Tulane University, and the University of New Orleans switched to online classes for the day. Xavier University and the University of Holy Cross will continue remote learning through Thursday.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation and urge residents to stay informed and prioritize safety as the storm progresses.