Prince George’s County Schools Closed for Two Days After Winter Storm Fern

Prince George’s County Public Schools closed for two days after a wintry mix left streets and sidewalks slick and county crews worked to clear hazards. The district announced closures for Wednesday and Thursday, Jan 27 and Jan 28, 2026, citing dangerously icy conditions that made bus routes and pedestrian access unsafe.

The storm deposited a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain across the region, leaving many roads glazed in ice and cleanup efforts ongoing. County officials continued to monitor road and sidewalk safety before lifting closures, emphasizing that transportation conditions, not instructional scheduling, drove the decision. Across the wider Washington area, federal offices and regional transit systems adjusted operations, and many neighboring school districts chose to use built-in snow days instead of shifting to remote learning.

Closures have immediate practical consequences for families and workers in PG County. Parents who rely on school schedules for childcare or shift work faced last-minute arrangements, while families of students who depend on school meals and onsite services lost access to those supports for two days. Students receiving special education services and school-based health or counseling supports experienced interruptions to routines that are especially important for children with higher needs.

Public health concerns were a key part of the decision-making. Icy surfaces raise the risk of falls and injuries for pedestrians, and slick roads increase crash risks for drivers and school buses. Emergency responders and county street crews focused on clearing primary routes and bus corridors first, leaving some residential streets and sidewalks impassable longer. That prioritization can deepen inequities for neighborhoods with older infrastructure or limited municipal snow removal resources.

The choice by many districts to rely on traditional snow days rather than remote instruction highlights persistent digital divides. Remote learning can keep instruction moving, but access to reliable internet and devices remains uneven across Prince George’s County, prompting officials to weigh safety and equity in closure decisions.

For residents, the immediate next steps are practical: heed county advisories, avoid nonessential travel while crews work, and check PGCPS communications for updates on meal distribution, transportation, and any schedule adjustments. The county will continue assessing conditions before reopening schools and services. The storm underscored longstanding questions about school closure policies, transit resilience and how emergency planning can better support families who depend on schools for more than instruction.