Winter Weather Forces School Delays Across Carolinas and Georgia

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) — School districts across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia adjusted schedules for Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, as freezing temperatures and icy road conditions created hazardous travel conditions. Below-freezing temperatures overnight led to delays, remote learning days, and cancellations in multiple districts.

In the Charlotte region, temperatures dropped into the single digits and teens overnight, causing melted snow and ice to refreeze on roadways. Several districts, including Anderson County School Districts One through Five in South Carolina, announced two-hour delays or eLearning days to ensure student and staff safety. Anderson County officials reported over 100 calls for vehicle crashes and vehicles in ditches due to black ice on back roads.

“Due to icy conditions on some of our roads, Anderson School District Two will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, January 23, to ensure the safety of our students, parents, and staff as they travel to school,” a district spokesperson said.

In Western North Carolina, districts like Macon County Schools and Madison County Schools also implemented two-hour delays. Macon County cited frigid temperatures and the need for buses to idle longer before running routes. Mitchell County Schools extended its one-hour delay schedule through Friday, Jan. 24, to protect students from waiting outside in extreme cold.

Greenville County Schools in South Carolina, however, opted for a normal schedule after its Inclement Conditions Evaluation (ICE) Team determined road conditions had improved significantly. “GCS will operate on a normal schedule tomorrow, Thursday, January 23, 2025,” the district announced.

In Georgia, Elbert County Schools declared a virtual learning day due to lingering snow and ice on roadways. Hart County Schools implemented a two-hour delay, while Stephens County Schools resumed normal operations.

Officials across the region urged caution for drivers. “Be mindful, be slow. There’s no reason to speed,” said an Anderson County official. “When we say slow, we mean 10 miles an hour. Don’t go the speed limit because that speed limit is a little too fast for some of these roads.”

South Carolina Department of Transportation crews were out salting main roads, but officials warned that back roads remained treacherous. Malden Police in South Carolina closed Ashmore Bridge Road after snow turned to ice, towing several abandoned vehicles. “We made every attempt to contact the owners beforehand and even gave people a ride to get their cars,” a police spokesperson said.

As temperatures are expected to rise later in the week, districts plan to return to regular schedules by Monday, Jan. 27.