School closings and delays: JoCo to reopen but Wake to stay closed Wednesday
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- Most Triangle districts will keep K‑12 remote Wednesday due to icy roads and freeze risks.
- Universities resumed in‑person classes while most K-12 schools are still remote.
- Districts usually notify families the night before; sometimes as late as 5:15 a.m.
Triangle school districts and universities have announced their plans for Wednesday. Here’s a list of closings and how school districts make decisions.
Universities have returned to in-person classes. But most area school districts are staying with remote learning due to concerns about road conditions.
Some families are clamoring for schools to reopen after districts switched to remote instruction on Monday and Tuesday in the aftermath of last weekend’s storm.
North Carolina K-12 public schools are allowed under state law to have up to five remote instruction days each school year in response to emergencies such as inclement weather.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro
Updated 3 p.m. Tuesday: Wednesday will be another remote learning day, primarily due to lingering icy spots and overnight freezing temperatures. But middle and high schools will now use synchronous instruction, meaning teachers will meet with students through live, virtual sessions that students attend using their Chromebooks.
Elementary school students will continue to have asynchronous instruction, meaning they will work independently on assignments given by their teachers.
Tuesday was a remote learning day after schools were closed Monday for a previously scheduled teacher workday.
The superintendent makes a decision after receiving a recommendation from the district’s Division of Operations, which takes into account factors including the weather forecast, current and future road conditions, the safety of school grounds, power outages and internet access. The decision is communicated through the district website and its mass notification system (robocall, email, text).
Chatham County
Updated 4:23 p.m. Tuesday: Schools will remain in remote learning due to the impending dangerous road conditions as a result of this week’s winter storm, and extreme cold temperatures overnight.
Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday for remote learning.
District leaders say they make a decision after obtaining information and recommendations from experts, consulting with weather forecasters and safety personnel, and driving designated bus routes thoroughly throughout the county. The decision is communicated through phone calls, emails and text messaging; district and school websites; the Chatham County Schools NC app; television news outlets; and the district’s Facebook and X accounts.
Durham Public Schools
Updated 4 p.m. Tuesday: Due to ongoing icy conditions across neighborhoods, secondary roads, and school campuses —combined with below-freezing temperatures — schools will operate on a remote learning schedule on Wednesday.
Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday for remote learning.
The district uses National Weather Service updates, local emergency management alerts, on-the-ground assessments of conditions and consultations with law enforcement and public safety officials to make decisions. Notification is made on the district’s website, the My DPS app, social media, automated phone calls and texts and local media partners
Johnston County
Updated 5 p.m. Tuesday: Schools will reopen on a normal schedule Wednesday after having been closed for remote learning on Monday and Tuesday.
The district’s Emergency Team works with local and state emergency and safety officials, local law enforcement agencies, and government officials to develop a course of action during inclement weather events. Announcements are shared with families via ConnectEd, the district website, school websites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and local radio and television stations.
Orange County
Updated 4:15 p.m. Tuesday: Schools will remain in remote learning, the district says, because roughly half of the secondary roads are icy and hazardous for travel right now.
Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday for remote learning.
The district’s Inclement Weather Team makes a recommendation after assessing the readiness of schools and facilities, monitoring conditions and forecasts before weather events, consulting with neighboring districts and driving all bus routes. Families are notified by phone call, email and text; push notification in Parent Portal; district and school websites; district social media; and news media.
Wake County
Updated 6:30 p.m. Tuesday: Wake will remain in remote instruction on Wednesday. Wake is citing the continued threat of black ice.
Some schools were closed Monday and Tuesday for remote instruction. The exception was traditional-calendar schools, which had Monday off for a previously scheduled teacher workday.
Decisions to adjust school schedules will be made after consulting the National Weather Service, local weather forecasters, and area law enforcement. The district uses district and school websites, emails, texts and phone calls to let families know about schedule changes.
Colleges and universities
- UNC-Chapel Hill (updated 10:55 a.m. Tuesday): Classes will resume Wednesday after having been canceled Monday and Tuesday. The university is moving to Condition 1 as of 12 a.m. on Wednesday.
- NC State: Classes resumed on Tuesday.
- Duke University: Classes resumed on Tuesday. The university says it will be on normal operations as of Wednesday.
- NC Central (updated 1 p.m. Tuesday): In-person classes will resume Wednesday when NCCU returns to normal operations..
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 11:56 AM.
