Memphis-Shelby County SchoolsDistrict management

Memphis cancels school Thursday and Friday, marking a full week of weather-related closures

By 
Bri Hatch
 | January 28, 2026, 7:16pm UTC
A photograph of a street filled with different shops and businesses covered in snow and the back of a person's head is right in the middle of the frame.
By the end of this week, the Memphis school district will have used five of the eight snow days built into its calendar. (AFP via Getty ImagesKevin Wurm / AFP via Getty Images)

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Memphis-Shelby County Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday, marking a full week of canceled classes due to last weekend’s winter storm.

All weekend activities will also be canceled, the district announced on Wednesday. According to The Daily Memphian, messy road conditions are expected to persist through next week, with the city’s limited supply of plows unable to clear the sheets of ice covering neighborhood streets.

Thursday is the only day forecast to reach above freezing temperatures before this weekend, city officials said.

MSCS has eight inclement-weather days built into the calendar to avoid extending the school year. Five will be used as of this week, leaving only three for any additional cancellations in the months ahead.

According to MSCS policy, the superintendent can decide as late as the morning of the affected school day whether to close schools or dismiss students early. But no remote instruction is allowed because of restrictions from the State Board of Education.

Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.

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