Snow Day Calculator
For fun / entertainment only — not a real meteorological or school-closure prediction.
The Classic "Will School Be Cancelled?" Guessing Game
Generations of students have tried to predict snow days by eyeballing the forecast — how much snow, how cold, how windy, and whether it falls on a weekday. This calculator turns that guessing game into a weighted point score, blending expected snowfall, temperature, wind, and day of the week into a single "probability" that's meant to be fun to check the night before, not an actual forecast.
The Scoring Formula
Temperature Score = 25 (≤15°F) / 20 (≤25°F) / 12 (≤32°F) / 4 (≤36°F) / 0 (>36°F)
Wind Score = 15 (≥25 mph) / 10 (≥15 mph) / 5 (≥8 mph) / 0 (below 8 mph)
Weekday Score = Snow + Temperature + Wind Score (capped at 100)
Weekend Score = Weekday Score × 0.15 (capped at 15)
Snowfall contributes up to 50 points, colder temperatures add up to 25 more (colder means icier roads and snow more likely to stick), and higher wind adds up to 15 (blowing and drifting snow). Weekend days get scaled down sharply since there's no school to cancel — the score becomes a much smaller "would it have been a snow day" figure.
Worked Examples
| Snowfall | Temperature | Wind | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 in | 20°F | 20 mph | 80.0% | Very Likely |
| 2 in | 34°F | 5 mph | 16.5% | Unlikely |
Score Verdict Ranges
| Score | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 80–100% | Very Likely |
| 55–79% | Likely |
| 30–54% | Possible |
| Below 30% | Unlikely |
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Expected Snowfall in inches.
- Enter the Temperature in °F.
- Enter the Wind Speed in mph.
- Select the Day of the Week.
- Select Calculate to see the snow day score and verdict.
Related Calculations
Check actual accumulated precipitation with the Rainfall Accumulation Calculator, or see what the cold actually feels like with the Wind Chill Calculator.