148 South Dakota school districts, each read against its own snow
South Dakota Snow Day Predictor
The odds of a closing or a delay on the next three school mornings for any South Dakota ZIP, with every district’s snow record and the rules South Dakota sets for a lost day.
Your district, your mornings
Snow day odds for your South Dakota ZIP
The next school morning
Tomorrow in South Dakota
The state’s biggest districts, each read against its own forecast and its own big snow morning.
South Dakota requires at least 437.5 hours for kindergarten, 875 hours for grades 1 to 5 and 962.5 hours for grades 6 to 12; the local board sets the number of days.
“The number of hours in the school term for grades six through twelve may not be less than nine hundred sixty-two and one-half hours, exclusive of intermissions.”
The Secretary of Education may waive the minimum hours when the Governor or the President declares a state of emergency covering the school; there is no fixed count of forgiven days.
“The minimum number of hours required in this section may be waived by the secretary if the Governor or the President of the United States declares a state of emergency and the affected school is located within the area to which the state of emergency is applicable.”
A school does not have to make up time lost to weather once it has already reached the state minimum hours; graduated seniors are excused from make up time.
“A school is not required to make up time for school closing because of weather, disease, or emergency once it has reached the minimum number of hours in the school term as required by state law.”
A weather late start or early dismissal counts as the full number of hours planned for that day on the district calendar.
“If classes have been convened and then are dismissed, or if classes convene at a time later in the day than normal, because of inclement weather, that day constitutes a school day in session equal to the number of hours planned for that day”
Ranked by weekday mornings from December through March with 4 inches or more of new snow at the 7 am reading, averaged over ten winters at each district’s nearest NOAA weather station.
How many snow days South Dakota districts plan for
4 South Dakota districts print a number of snow days on their own 2026 to 2027 calendars. A closing inside that number leaves the calendar as printed; one past it is made up, usually from a break or the end of the year.
Snow a winter and 4 inch mornings come from each district’s nearest NOAA weather station over ten winters. Built in days are the district’s own, read from its calendar. Every linked district has a page with its live odds, its snow record and its schools.
Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1Batesland
1,853
47 in
2.3
Vermillion School District 13-1Vermillion
1,432
31.2 in
1.1
West Central School District 49-7Hartford
1,409
41.8 in
2
Dakota Valley School District 61-8North Sioux City
1,386
24.1 in
1.2
Belle Fourche School District 09-1Belle Fourche
1,296
45.7 in
1.3
Lennox School District 41-4Lennox
1,224
36.1 in
1.6
Madison Central School District 39-2Madison
1,178
36.6 in
1.2
Milbank School District 25-4Milbank
1,014
44 in
1.9
Dell Rapids School District 49-3Dell Rapids
973
36.8 in
1.4
Sisseton School District 54-2Sisseton
970
40.9 in
1.6
Tri-Valley School District 49-6Colton
932
44.7 in
2.6
Custer School District 16-1Custer
906
56.5 in
2.3
Wagner School District 11-4Wagner
900
39 in
1.6
Hamlin School District 28-3Hayti
881
33.9 in
0.9
Canton School District 41-1Canton
880
41.8 in
1.7
Chamberlain School District 07-1Chamberlain
848
41 in
1.8
Winner School District 59-2Winner
825
46 in
1.9
Hot Springs School District 23-2Hot Springs
739
46 in
1.3
Sioux Valley School District 05-5Volga
715
37.5 in
1.2
Flandreau School District 50-3Flandreau
698
39.6 in
1.2
Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7Elk Point
690
32.5 in
1.5
Beresford School District 61-2Beresford
672
28.8 in
1
Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Lead
671
116.9 in
4.3
Groton Area School District 06-6Groton
601
37.4 in
0.5
Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6Mobridge
591
32.4 in
0.7
Baltic School District 49-1Baltic
580
36.8 in
1.4
Bon Homme School District 04-2Tyndall
580
36.4 in
1.4
Parkston School District 33-3Parkston
569
32.1 in
1.2
Webster School District 18-5Webster
548
33.7 in
0.8
Deuel School District 19-4Clear Lake
544
47.1 in
1.9
Chester School District 39-1Chester
542
44.7 in
2.6
Redfield School District 56-4Redfield
534
24.3 in
0.8
Platte-Geddes School District 11-5Platte
509
38.2 in
1.8
Hill City School District 51-2Hill City
508
69.5 in
1.6
Clark School District 12-2Clark
496
43.6 in
1.5
Britton-Hecla School District 45-4Britton
480
50.9 in
1.9
Garretson School District 49-4Garretson
480
31.8 in
1
McCook Central School District 43-7Salem
472
38.6 in
2.1
Miller Area School District 29-4Miller
472
41.6 in
1.9
Bennett County School District 03-1Martin
471
Parker School District 60-4Parker
469
43.1 in
1.5
Elkton School District 05-3Elkton
453
39.6 in
1.2
Gregory School District 26-4Gregory
431
47.6 in
2.1
Ipswich School District 22-6Ipswich
430
35.9 in
0.9
Wessington Springs School District 36-2Wessington Springs
429
42.3 in
1.9
McLaughlin School District 15-2McLaughlin
427
43.1 in
2.1
Freeman School District 33-1Freeman
424
43.1 in
1.5
Stanley County School District 57-1Fort Pierre
418
31.9 in
0.9
Deubrook School District 05-6White
417
43.6 in
1.2
White River School District 47-1White River
416
49.4 in
1.8
Viborg Hurley School District 60-6Viborg
406
36.1 in
1.6
Faulkton School District 24-4Faulkton
393
37 in
1.2
Hanson School District 30-1Alexandria
389
29.1 in
1.2
Timber Lake School District 20-3Timber Lake
389
41.5 in
0.8
Eagle Butte School District 20-1Eagle Butte
383
46.2 in
1.5
Dupree School District 64-2Dupree
376
43.3 in
2
Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1Alcester
366
28.8 in
1
Kimball School District 07-2Kimball
363
37.3 in
1.4
Lyman School District 42-1Presho
360
39.6 in
1.3
Northwestern Area School District 56-7Mellette
359
33.2 in
1.3
De Smet School District 38-2De Smet
354
44.8 in
1.3
Bridgewater-Emery School District 30-3Bridgewater
342
38.6 in
2.1
Castlewood School District 28-1Castlewood
338
42.9 in
1.8
Willow Lake School District 12-3Willow Lake
338
44.8 in
1.3
Florence School District 14-1Florence
332
35.3 in
1.4
Howard School District 48-3Howard
328
35.8 in
1
Oldham-Ramona-Rutland 39-6Rutland
324
36.6 in
1.2
Andes Central School District 11-1Lake Andes
322
39 in
1.6
Haakon School District 27-1Philip
322
34.2 in
1.3
Wolsey-Wessington School District 02-6Wolsey
318
40.6 in
1.5
Canistota School District 43-1Canistota
312
37.4 in
1.9
Warner School District 06-5Warner
312
33.2 in
1.3
Kadoka School District 35-2Kadoka
303
36 in
1.2
Arlington School District 38-1Arlington
301
18 in
1
Colman-Egan School District 50-5Colman
301
39.6 in
1.2
Plankinton School District 01-1Plankinton
297
37.3 in
1.4
Lemmon School District 52-4Lemmon
292
44.2 in
1.3
Ethan School District 17-1Ethan
291
32.1 in
1.2
Irene-Wakonda School District 13-3Irene
290
28.8 in
1
Gayville-Volin School District 63-1Gayville
286
38 in
1.6
Centerville School District 60-1Centerville
280
28.8 in
1
Woonsocket School District 55-4Woonsocket
278
30.6 in
1.3
Wall School District 51-5Wall
277
28.3 in
1.1
Estelline School District 28-2Estelline
275
24.3 in
0.5
New Underwood School District 51-3New Underwood
274
50.1 in
1.4
Scotland School District 04-3Scotland
273
38.4 in
2
Corsica-Stickney School District 21-3Corsica
267
33.3 in
1.5
Mount Vernon School District 17-3Mount Vernon
266
36.9 in
2
Montrose School District 43-2Montrose
265
37.4 in
1.9
Waverly School District 14-5Waverly
263
35.3 in
1.4
Menno School District 33-2Menno
262
38.4 in
2
Hitchcock-Tulare School District 56-6Tulare
247
24.3 in
0.8
Langford School District 45-5Langford
247
50.9 in
1.9
Highmore-Harrold School District 34-2Highmore
244
39.8 in
1.2
Newell School District 09-2Newell
243
38.3 in
2
Wilmot School District 54-7Wilmot
233
47.9 in
2.2
Avon School District 04-1Avon
231
36.4 in
1.4
Agar-Blunt-Onida School District 58-3Onida
229
33.8 in
1
Rosholt School District 54-4Rosholt
227
47.8 in
2.7
Armour School District 21-1Armour
224
33.3 in
1.5
Iroquois School District 02-3Iroquois
222
42 in
1.6
Harding County School District 31-1Buffalo
221
37 in
0.6
Gettysburg School District 53-1Gettysburg
220
33.8 in
1
Burke School District 26-2Burke
216
47.6 in
2.1
Sanborn Central School District 55-5Forestburg
215
30.6 in
1.3
Marion School District 60-3Marion
212
43.1 in
1.5
Leola School District 44-2Leola
210
35.9 in
0.9
Henry School District 14-2Henry
200
43.6 in
1.5
Frederick Area School District 06-2Frederick
195
49 in
1.5
Lake Preston School District 38-3Lake Preston
188
44.8 in
1.3
Faith School District 46-2Faith
186
43.3 in
2
Summit School District 54-6Summit
186
56.3 in
2
Jones County School District 37-3Murdo
183
47.4 in
1.6
Selby School District 62-5Selby
183
37.3 in
0.6
Smee School District 15-3Wakpala
183
31.4 in
0.9
Waubay School District 18-3Waubay
172
33.7 in
0.8
Eureka School District 44-1Eureka
171
36.7 in
0.7
Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5Tripp
165
32.1 in
1.2
Colome Consolidated School District 59-3Colome
156
46 in
1.9
Doland School District 56-2Doland
153
30.8 in
0.5
Herreid School District 10-1Herreid
147
44.8 in
2.3
Edmunds Central School District 22-5Roscoe
146
42.9 in
1.1
Bison School District 52-1Bison
137
38 in
1.5
Edgemont School District 23-1Edgemont
131
31.6 in
0.4
McIntosh School District 15-1McIntosh
129
40.5 in
1.6
White Lake School District 01-3White Lake
124
37.3 in
1.4
Hoven School District 53-2Hoven
112
50.2 in
1.6
Oelrichs School District 23-3Oelrichs
112
44.2 in
2
Bowdle School District 22-1Bowdle
109
50.2 in
1.6
South Central School District 26-5Bonesteel
93
40.8 in
1.5
Big Stone City School District 25-1Big Stone City
73
32.2 in
1.6
Elk Mountain School District 16-2Edgemont
18
46 in
1.3
Questions
South Dakota snow day questions
South Dakota requires at least 437.5 hours for kindergarten, 875 hours for grades 1 to 5 and 962.5 hours for grades 6 to 12; the local board sets the number of days.
The Secretary of Education may waive the minimum hours when the Governor or the President declares a state of emergency covering the school; there is no fixed count of forgiven days.
A school does not have to make up time lost to weather once it has already reached the state minimum hours; graduated seniors are excused from make up time.
A weather late start or early dismissal counts as the full number of hours planned for that day on the district calendar.
All 148 in the state, by ZIP, with a page of their own for 12, including Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Harrisburg. Every page carries the district’s own snow record and the odds for its next three school mornings.
A typical South Dakota district sees about 3.8 weekday mornings a winter with 2 inches of new snow or more, and 1.4 with 4 inches or more, counted on weekdays from December 1 through March 31 at each district’s nearest NOAA weather station over ten winters. The snowiest districts in the table see several times that.
Three school mornings, as far as the National Weather Service hourly forecast reaches. Weekends and the district’s winter break are skipped, so a Friday storm is read for Monday’s buses.
It reads the National Weather Service forecast for your ZIP through the night and the bus hours, adds winter alerts and the Winter Storm Severity Index, and measures the snow against what counts as a big morning for your district. The state rules come from the South Dakota Department of Education and the state code.
