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Inclement Weather

Winter landscape with snow-covered trees and fields, with text overlay.

Weather Procedures and Snow Routes

  • We will notify families of school closures or delays through ParentSquare, and we will also make posts on our social media pages and on our website. In order to receive ParentSquare messages, your contact information must be up-to-date with your child’s school. To sign up for ParentSquare, go to ParentSquare.

    If inclement weather hits Ferndale, Lummi, and Custer areas, here are the various means of communication we will use. 

    ParentSquare, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Website. 

    We also use FlashAlert to notify the local media of any closures or delays. You can typically find any school closure information in most local media. 

  • We closely monitor the weather. Most often, decisions are made in the early morning rather than the night before so that the most current weather conditions and forecasts can factor into the decision. Decisions are rarely made the day prior to a snow event.  

    We recognize school delays and closures impact families’ schedules, and we will communicate any decision as quickly as possible. In the early morning hours (typically beginning at 4 a.m.), staff drive main roads and side streets throughout school district boundaries to assess driving conditions. Information is compiled and reported to the superintendent, who will make the decision – based on the best available information at that time – to close schools or delay classes. Our district has wide-reaching boundaries, from Lummi Island and the Lummi Peninsula to Custer and North Bellingham, so we base our decisions off of what is best for our entire geographical region. 

    We understand these decisions disrupt family life and we appreciate your patience during these severe weather situations. While we know that our students and families are best served when we are open, our top concern is the safety of our students and staff.

  • Generally, no. 

    Our school district covers a large geographic area. Road and walking conditions usually vary widely from one neighborhood to another. This makes for a difficult decision on whether to close or delay school and/or use snow bus routes in all or only parts of our community. The decision whether to close or delay applies to all schools so that it will be easily understood and equitable for all students, staff and families. In rare circumstances when an emergency such as a prolonged power outage affects only a specific area, schedule changes may be needed for that school or set of schools.

  • Ferndale School District uses a variety of methods to keep you informed: 

  • We try, if at all possible, not to dismiss school early due to weather, except in rare extreme weather conditions. 

    Dismissing early is problematic when families are not expecting it. Families may always choose to pick up their children early, and we support you making decisions that you feel are best for your child’s safety. We do our best to monitor and anticipate conditions. If needed in severe weather, we would use emergency contact information to communicate with parents. 

  • School is delayed when the weather is bad but is forecasted to improve and warm/thaw after sunrise. 

    This also allows our buses to operate in better conditions with less traffic. To maximize student learning time on days when weather requires a late start for safety, all schools will begin 2 hours after each of their respective start times.  

    All out-of-district transportation is canceled during delayed starts. There also will be no out-of-district transportation if Ferndale or another local district is closed due to weather. For example, if Ferndale schools are closed but Bellingham schools are open, we will not transport students to or from Bellingham, or vice versa. 

    When school is delayed, students will catch the bus about 2 hours later at their regular bus stop.

  • Yes. 

    All school and district athletics held on or off district property — including mandatory or voluntary practices/rehearsals, activities (field trips and school/district facility rentals), meetings/events previously planned for before, after school and evening — are canceled. When school is delayed, school and district administrators decide whether to cancel activities, meetings and events on a school-by-school basis. This information will be communicated to families the day of. 

  • State law requires that children attend school 180 days. 

    Children must be present for a certain number of hours each day in order for it to count as a school day. When school is delayed, children are in attendance for the hours needed to meet state requirements. When school is closed, missed days must be made up unless they are waived by the state. State law does not currently allow school districts to add minutes onto each school day to make up missed time. Our school district’s 180-day calendar is part of the contract with our labor associations. The school calendar and the teachers’ collective bargaining agreement allow missed school days to be made up at the end of the school year. If excessive make-up days are necessary, other options will be discussed and explored. We recognize the importance of having children in school on a regular schedule with quality, uninterrupted learning time. With safety as our primary concern, decisions that impact student learning are always weighed with careful consideration. Please be patient during weather situations as we share in the frustration regarding schedule changes. 

  • If you are a community partner who operates on the same schedule as our schools and wish to be added to our communications, please complete the below form: