Extreme cold leads Centre County school districts to issue 2-hour delays rest of week
Two Centre County school districts announced they extended their series of two-hour delays through the rest of the week and will open their schools late again this Thursday and Friday due extreme cold temperatures.
State College Area School District announced it extended its series of two-hour delays through the rest of the week and will open its schools late again this Thursday and Friday due to “very cold temperatures.”
SCASD informed parents of the move late Wednesday morning. The additional delays come after a Sunday snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow throughout much of Centre County, leading to SCASD closing schools Monday and announcing delays for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Later Wednesday, Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District announced it would also have two-hour delays on Thursday and Friday “to allow for safer conditions for students waiting at bus stops.”
Only SCASD and P-O operated Wednesday under two-hour delays; Centre County’s other public schools resumed operations as usual.
In an email to parents, SCASD Superintendent Curtis Johnson explained that about 600 students walk to school in the district and the National Weather Service implemented a cold weather advisory that’s in effect until 10 a.m. Thursday. Per AccuWeather, temperatures are expected to only creep up to as high as 15 degrees Thursday and Friday — with lows in the negatives and wind chills that could make it feel even colder.
“We want to reiterate that a great deal of planning and thought goes into making our weather delays and cancellations,” Johnson wrote. “While we do have temperature guidelines, those are only one contributing factor in our plan. This week is especially difficult because the extended cold has been combined with significant snowfall and drifting.”
Based on previously announced guidelines, SCASD typically considers temperatures unsafe enough for delays and cancellations when it actually falls below 5 degrees or if the wind chill reaches minus-20 degrees. But Johnson made clear Wednesday that at least 10 combined factors are considered, from the district’s square mileage to the capacity for crews to salt the grounds.
The next scheduled day(s) off for SCASD students is spring break from March 9-13.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 12:33 PM.
