Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is reminding families of its weather-related operating procedures as the winter season approaches, including the six color codes used to communicate school closures, delayed openings, early dismissals, and virtual instruction days.
In a message to the MCPS community, the school system encouraged families to familiarize themselves with the procedures before winter weather arrives. “It’s almost that time of year again! While we are still enjoying autumn leaves, winter weather will be knocking on our doors before we know it,” MCPS wrote. “From early morning snow assessments to midday adjustments, we want to make sure you know exactly what to expect when winter weather hits our area.”
MCPS uses six color codes to communicate changes to normal school operations.
- Code Green (Normal Operations): Schools and offices open on time, with childcare and community activities operating as scheduled.
- Code Yellow (Delayed Opening): Schools, offices, and morning buses operate on a two-hour delay. Schools dismiss at their regular times.
- Code Blue (Early Dismissal): Schools close at an announced time, with afternoon and evening school and community activities canceled. Childcare programs may continue operating.
- Code Orange (Schools Closed/Offices Open): Schools are closed, but school and central offices open on time. MCPS-sponsored activities are canceled. Childcare programs may operate as scheduled.
- Code Red (School System Closed): Schools and offices are closed, with all activities, childcare, and community use canceled.
- Code Purple (Virtual Instruction Day): School and office buildings are closed, but students and staff participate in virtual instruction. Online classes begin two hours later than the normal schedule. Before- and after-school programs and community use are canceled.
MCPS also outlined the timeline for weather-related decisions, which are based on National Weather Service forecasts, road and traffic conditions, and coordination with county response agencies and neighboring school districts.
When a decision can be made the evening before a potential weather event, MCPS aims to announce it by 7 pm. If conditions require further assessment overnight, updated forecasts may be reviewed as early as 4:30 am, with a morning decision announced by 5 am.
For early dismissals, MCPS aims to announce a decision by 10:30 am when weather conditions are expected to affect afternoon transportation. Decisions affecting only evening activities may be announced later in the afternoon. Emergency circumstances can result in notifications outside these usual timeframes.
The school system emphasized that weather-related decisions to close schools are made countywide rather than for individual schools. According to MCPS, the uniform approach allows the district to respond quickly to emergency conditions while protecting students and staff, including those who rely on county-provided transportation services.
Families can receive operating status updates through the MCPS website, Alert MCPS, ParentSquare, school websites, official social media accounts, and the MCPS emergency hotline at 240-740-3010.
