How Snow Day Alerts Works

Step 1: Weather data for your ZIP code

When you enter a ZIP code, Snow Day Alerts calls a weather API to pull a detailed forecast for the next several days around that location. We focus especially on:

Overnight snow totals Snow rate near 4–6 AM Ice / freezing rain Wind & blowing snow Extreme cold / wind chill

Step 2: A scoring system based on real-world closure patterns

Every district has its own thresholds, but most closures tend to happen when a few ingredients add up at the same time:

• Roads are snow-covered or icy during the bus/commute window.
• Snow or ice is still falling or blowing during the early-morning drive.
• Temperatures and wind chill are dangerously low for kids waiting outside.

Our model turns those ingredients into a score between 0 and 100. Higher scores mean conditions look more like past days when closures were likely.

Step 3: Turning scores into “fun but honest” labels

The site translates the raw score into friendly messages such as:

• No Snow Day Signal (0–19%) – Normal winter weather.
• Low Snow Day Signal (20–39%) – Something to watch.
• Snow Day Possible (40–59%) – Check back often.
• High Snow Day Signal (60–79%) – Strong setup for closures.
• Very High Snow Day Signal (80–100%) – Many similar storms closed schools.

Important disclaimers

• We do not use official school closing data.
• All numbers are estimates, not guarantees.
• Your district may decide differently, even with identical weather.

Always follow your district’s official alerts and messages.