Chicago Public Schools snow day prediction
Live closure and delay odds for Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, IL, based on the latest hourly forecast for the city. Use your own ZIP code for a neighborhood-level forecast.
Winter weather in Chicago
Chicago's large urban district has historically closed rarely for snow alone; arctic cold has been a more common trigger. Lake Michigan can enhance snowfall near the shore on northeast winds, so lakefront neighborhoods sometimes see more than the western suburbs.
The model's separate cold-closure path matters here. During polar air outbreaks, check the morning wind chill factor even when little snow is forecast.
How we model Chicago
- Snow tolerance
- Regular snow
- Snow at ~50% odds
- 5″
- Ice at ~50% odds
- 0.1″
- Cold line
- -15°F
Default area type: Urban / walkable. These are model settings, not district policy. Read how the prediction works or the Great Lakes Snowbelt guide.
Official information
For confirmed closures and delays, use Chicago Public Schools's official website and the district's text or app alerts. SnowCall is independent and not affiliated with the district.
Nearby districts
Frequently asked questions
Is Chicago Public Schools closed tomorrow?
SnowCall cannot tell you whether school is closed — only the district can. The estimate above is a forecast-based probability. For official closures and delays, check cps.edu, the district's alert system, or local news.
How much snow does it take to close Chicago Public Schools?
There is no published snowfall number. The model treats Chicago as a "regular snow" area, where about 5" of overnight snow, 0.1" of ice, or a morning wind chill near -15°F makes a closure roughly a coin flip. Timing, temperature and wind can move that a lot.
Where does this forecast come from?
Hourly data from Open-Meteo for Chicago (41.88, -87.63), four global weather models, and the National Weather Service's gridded snow and ice forecast and alerts.