West Portsmouth, Ohio, 1,227 students in 3 schools

Washington-Nile Local School District Snow Day Predictor

Q: How much snow does West Portsmouth get?

About 3.5 inches a winter at a NOAA weather station 11.3 miles away, averaged over 10 winters. Between December 1 and March 31 that brings 0.4 weekday mornings a year with 2 inches of new snow or more, and 0.3 with 4 inches or more.

Q: What was the biggest snow day near Washington-Nile?

5.4 inches on January 17, 2022, the largest single day at a NOAA weather station 11.3 miles away in 10 winters. The snowiest winter was 2021 to 2022, with 12.5 inches.

Q: How does the Washington-Nile snow day predictor work?

It reads the National Weather Service forecast for West Portsmouth through the night and the 5 to 8 am bus run, adds winter alerts and the Winter Storm Severity Index, and measures the snow against Washington-Nile’s own big snow morning: 4.2 inches, the top tenth of snowy weekday mornings at a NOAA weather station 11.3 miles away.

Q: Can Ohio schools hold a remote day instead?

A school can make up the hours of up to three closed days online, including for hazardous weather, if its board adopted a plan by August 1; using it is optional.

The odds of a closing or a delay on the next three school mornings in Washington-Nile, measured against Washington-Nile's own big snow morning of 4.2 inches.

The next three school mornings

Will Washington-Nile close tomorrow?

Reading the National Weather Service forecast for the overnight and the bus hours in West Portsmouth.

Ten winters of school mornings

Washington-Nile’s snow record

3.5inches of snow a winter

0.4school mornings a winter with 2 in of new snow or more

0.3with 4 in or more

4.2 ina big snow morning in Washington-Nile: the top tenth of snowy school mornings

0.2Nov

0Dec

2.1Jan

1.1Feb

0.2Mar

Average snowfall by month, inches

Biggest day 5.4 in on January 17, 2022
Snowiest winter 2021 to 2022, 12.5 in
6 in mornings 0 a winter
1 in mornings 1 a winter

Measured at a NOAA weather station 11.3 miles away. Mornings are the 7 am snow reading on a weekday from December 1 through March 31, over the ten winters from 2016 to 2017 through 2025 to 2026, from NOAA GHCN Daily.

The Ohio rule

How Ohio counts a lost day

Ohio requires hours, not days: 910 hours for full day kindergarten through grade 6, 1,001 hours for grades 7 to 12, 455 for half day kindergarten. Only hours that drop a school below the state minimum must be made up, by extending the school year.

The Ohio rules in the agency’s own words, and every Ohio district

Next door

Districts near Washington-Nile

District	Snow a winter	4 in mornings
Portsmouth City School DistrictPortsmouth	3.5 in	0.3
Wheelersburg Local School DistrictWheelersburg	3.5 in	0.3
Northwest Local School DistrictMc Dermott	7.4 in	0.4
Valley Local School DistrictLucasville	7.4 in	0.4
Minford Local School DistrictMinford	7.4 in	0.4
Rock Hill Local School DistrictIronton	3.5 in	0.3

The schools

3 schools

Every school in Washington-Nile follows the district’s call: one closing covers them all.

High

Portsmouth West High School

Middle

Portsmouth West Middle School

Elementary

Portsmouth West Elementary School

Questions

Washington-Nile snow day questions

How much snow does West Portsmouth get?

What was the biggest snow day near Washington-Nile?

How does the Washington-Nile snow day predictor work?

How does Ohio handle snow days?

Can Ohio schools hold a remote day instead?

More winter

More for Ohio snow days

Snow day predictorClosing and delay odds for any ZIP, with the snowiest districts in the country.Snow depth mapHow much snow is on the ground right now, measured, across the country.First snow datesWhen the first measurable snow usually lands where you live.Frozen pipesThe nights cold enough to freeze a pipe, and what to do before one.Snow plow trackerWhere the plows are during a storm, city by city.Ohio winter forecastThe season ahead for Ohio: snowfall, cold and the first snow.

A residential street under deep snow on a bright blue morning, cars parked along the curb buried into smooth white mounds, one set of tire tracks down the middle — The morning after a big one: cars buried to the mirrors and one set of tracks down the middle. A street like this is a closing, no debate. Photo, Fairfax, Virginia, January 2016: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0

The odds are a forecast read, and the superintendent makes the call: the district’s own announcement is the one to follow.