JoCo closes. Wake and other Triangle school districts open 2-hours late Thursday
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Johnston County closed Thursday after initially planning a two-hour delay.
- Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Chapel Hill-Carrboro opened two-hour delays Thursday.
- Districts cited safety—road evaluations and Wake warned of black ice risk.
Triangle school districts will operate on a delayed opening or close due to Wednesday night’s wintry mix of sleet and snow.
The Johnston County school system announced around 6 a.m. Thursday that it would be closed due to hazardous conditions after previously saying it would open on a two-hour delay. Wake County, Durham Public Schools, Orange County, Chatham County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro school systems are opening Thursday on a two-hour delay.
It’s the latest weather-related school interruption to hit students over the past two weeks due to successive winter storms.
“We value every moment of teaching and learning, and we want everyone to arrive at school safely!” Orange County said in its announcement. “A two-hour delay will allow our OCS Transportation and Operations teams time to evaluate roads and campuses for safety during the daylight hours.”
School districts warned Wednesday night that if conditions are worse than expected they may have to take further action such as a longer delay or closing school. Parents are being told they’ll be notified of any last-minute changes by 6 a.m. Thursday.
Wake County cited the continued threat of black ice for the delayed opening.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 6:02 PM.
