FAQ

This page answers common questions about the snow day calculator, snow day probability, and how schools decide on closures.

General

How accurate is the snow day calculator?

It’s a solid planning signal built from forecast ingredients school administrators watch: snow totals, timing, temperature, ice risk, and wind. Accuracy improves as the storm gets closer—check again within 12–24 hours of expected snow.

Does it use my exact school district?

No. We compute conditions at your selected location using public forecast data. Each district has different thresholds and resources; always follow official announcements.

Can I use ZIP codes?

Yes. Enter any U.S. ZIP code or city. If you type a five‑digit number we bias to the U.S. to avoid foreign matches with the same digits.

Methodology

What inputs are used?

• Snow accumulation (next 24h)
• Strongest wind gust (next 24h)
• Minimum temperature (next 24h)
• Ice risk when temps hover 28–33°F with likely precip
• Storm timing (overnight vs daytime)
• Area type (urban/suburban/rural)

How is the score calculated?

We map each input to a weighted scale and combine them into a 0–100 probability. Overnight timing and rural areas nudge the score higher; warmer, low‑snow cases keep it lower.

Using the results

What probabilities should I pay attention to?

Think of 60–80% as “plan for disruption”, 40–60% as “could go either way”, and under 30% as “unlikely”. Local policies vary.

Why is the sparkline sometimes flat?

When hourly snowfall is close to zero for 24 hours, the sparkline is nearly flat. We still render it so you can confirm that snow is not expected.

Can I see past snow?

Yes. After a search we show a compact summary of the last 7 days of snowfall for the location you selected.

Search terms

People often search for snow day calculator, snow day calc, snow day probability, or snow.day calculator. This page is meant to help with all of them.