Local school districts urge parents to prepare for severe storms forecasted for Monday, March 16

ROCKDALE, DEKALB, GWINNETT, COUNTIES: Due to forecasted severe winter weather, Rockdale County Public Schools will delay school openings by 2.5 hours on Monday, March 16. 

 

The DeKalb County School District and Gwinnett County Public Schools announced they will be monitoring the weather, but had not announced delayed openings as of 10 p.m. Sunday, March 15. They’re urging parents to prepare and monitor the weather as they get ready for school in the morning.

 

The National Weather Service has alerted Central and North Georgia that a line of strong to severe storms, along with an associated cold front, are expected  to move into the metro Atlanta region late tonight(March 15) and expected to continue through Monday morning. 

 

Severe weather threats across the U.S. are predicted to bring blizzards, high winds, potential tornadoes and record lows, weather officials say. The weather system is expected to intensify and continue through the week as wind gusts and flash flooding pushes through parts of Northern and Eastern U.S.  

Rockdale County Public Schools to delay school opening 2.5 hours on  Monday, March 16, 2026

RCPS will be on delayed start for all students and staff by 2.5 hours tomorrow, Monday, March 16, 2026. We are under an increased level of risk for severe storms and tornados in the morning for our area. These storms bring the threat of high damaging winds causing downed trees and power outages along with the increased threat for tornados. Please stay weather aware and stay safe.

DeKalb County School District monitoring weather for Monday, March 16

The DeKalb School District sent the following to families through its SchoolMessenger service regarding the National Weather Service alert: 

 

” …Please monitor weather conditions and ensure students are dressed appropriately for the morning, particularly those waiting at school bus stops. 

We also encourage families to consider having children wait with an adult or avoid awaiting alone if severe weather is present. If hazardous conditions occur, buses will be taken to the nearest school shelter and arrival/departure times may change. 

 

Thank you for your attention and for helping keep our students safe.  We will continue to monitor the situation wand will send updates if necessary.”

The DeKalb County School District. 

Gwinnett County Public Schools monitoring weather for Monday, March 16

Gwinnett County Public Schools is closely monitoring the weather and potential impacts across our community. At this time, it is still too early to determine whether any schedule changes will be necessary for tomorrow (Monday, March 16).

Our teams will be checking road conditions early in the morning and reviewing the latest weather information. District leaders will work together to make the best decision possible for the safety of our students and staff across the county.

Depending on conditions, schools could operate on a normal schedule, have a delayed start, or shift to a Digital Learning Day (DLD).

If any schedule changes are necessary, we will communicate with all families and staff before 6:00 a.m. through ParentSquare, the GCPS website, social media, and local media outlets. If schools operate on a normal schedule, no additional announcement will be made in the morning.