Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Schools Likely Closed Tuesday as Refreeze, Untreated Roads, and Dangerous Cold Follow Winter Storm
UNITED STATES — After widespread school closures across the Mid-Atlantic on Monday, attention is now firmly focused on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, where conditions strongly favor another round of closures across large parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and eastern West Virginia.
Updated regional school-closure outlooks indicate medium-to-high confidence that most districts will not reopen Tuesday, not because of new snowfall, but due to lingering hazardous conditions left behind by the powerful winter storm.
Why Tuesday Closures Are Likely
Despite snow tapering off, several compounding factors are expected to make travel unsafe for students and staff:
- Untreated and snow-covered secondary roads
- Refreezing Monday night, as temperatures plunge well below freezing
- Dangerously cold wind chills, limiting the effectiveness and safety of road treatment
- Ongoing cleanup delays in rural and suburban areas
Forecasters note that refreeze conditions overnight will lock in icy surfaces, particularly on neighborhood roads, hills, and shaded areas — a key driver behind expected school shutdowns.
High Confidence Closure Zone
School closure probability maps show a large red zone across much of the region, signaling “Closing Likely” conditions. This includes:
- Central and eastern Pennsylvania
- Most of Maryland, including the Baltimore–Washington corridor
- Northern and central Virginia
- Portions of the eastern panhandle of West Virginia
In these areas, officials are expected to prioritize safety over partial reopenings or delays.
What About Delays or Virtual Learning?
Some districts may initially consider delays, but the odds favor full closures, especially where:
- Snow removal is incomplete
- Overnight lows drop into the single digits or teens
- Wind chills fall into dangerous ranges for waiting students
Virtual learning impacts remain uncertain, as many districts continue to evaluate infrastructure and policy following Monday’s closures.
Why This Is a Straightforward Call
Meteorologists describe Tuesday’s outlook as a rarely ambiguous decision, even two days out. When widespread refreeze combines with extreme cold, districts typically err on the side of caution — particularly after a major snow event.
This is not a borderline forecast dependent on storm track or snowfall totals. Instead, it’s driven by post-storm impacts, which historically lead to high closure rates across the Mid-Atlantic.
Bottom Line
While each district will make its own final call, the regional signal is clear: most schools across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and parts of West Virginia are likely to remain closed Tuesday due to unsafe road conditions and bitter cold following the winter storm.
We’ll continue tracking school closure announcements and any changes in conditions. Share what your district is planning and stay with WaldronNews.com for the latest winter weather and school impact updates.