The region continues digging out from a winter storm that dropped between 5 and 10 inches of snow and sleet across most of the county, with a few isolated areas reporting even higher totals (or 29 inches if you have an iPhone 😊).
On Sunday, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) announced the decision to close schools and offices on Monday, a day that was already scheduled as a no school day for students, and Tuesday as well. Since that announcement, MCPS has shared photos showing cleanup progress at schools across the county, though conditions remain uneven from area to area.
As of Monday evening at 7:15pm, many neighborhoods were still unplowed, adding to concerns about road conditions and accessibility. Cleanup efforts are ongoing at both the county and state level as crews work through primary roads and residential streets.
The MoCoSnow pencil prediction for Tuesday came less than an hour before MCPS made its official closure announcement, with a Five Pencil call proving to be spot on. Attention now turns to Wednesday. With roughly 36 hours remaining for the county and school system to make significant progress, conditions remain questionable. Based on the current pace of cleanup and lingering impacts from the storm, the outlook is not especially optimistic.
Pencil Prediction for Wednesday, January 28: 4 Pencils ✏️✏️✏️✏️
A Five Pencil prediction is typically reserved for major, unmistakable closures immediately following a significant storm. This situation feels more like a wait and see scenario, but I do believe there is still a very strong chance schools will remain closed again. Probably closer to 4.5 pencils.
A Thursday prediction will be shared once we see the progress tomorrow and hear the official decision by MCPS, which should come by 4 or 5pm.
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