Will Weather Close Gwinnett Schools Friday?

Duluth and Gwinnett parents, be forewarned. It could be a last-minute decision early Friday (Jan. 18) before Gwinnett County Public Schools officials decide whether to cancel classes for that day.

As of now, classes are still on for Friday, according to GCPS spokesperson Jorge Quintana. The policy for the system, which has more than 160,000 students, is to wait as late as 6 a.m. on the given day before deciding whether to postpone classes for that day, Quintana said.

And given the nature of the current weather forecasts, it likely will be a last-minute decision. The National Weather Service has predicted the possibility of snow and black ice late Thursday and into early Friday.

Black ice is roadway ice from residual moisture, not from what falls during a current weather system.

Quintana said in an email that the decision is made after transportation employees test the roads very early in the morning to make sure conditions are safe for school buses to travel. "We also work very closely with other agencies who monitor road conditions," he said.

Parents and students should always check the GCPS website before 6 a.m., where a message about status of schools that day would be posted.

~ Suwanee Patch