The Kent School District is taking preemptive measures in regards to the impending SnowViadoom Storm, and announced that it will be doing early dismissal on Friday, Feb. 8.

All students will be dismissed three hours early on Friday.

Here’s the district’s full announcement:

Due to weather reports indicating a significant snow event beginning Friday afternoon, we are announcing a districtwide early dismissal for Friday, February 8. We are being proactive in our planning for the safety of our students, staff and families.

We will have a districtwide three-hour early dismissal schedule on Friday, February 8, 2019.

  • Schools will start at their regular times on Friday morning.
  • Buses will be on regular routes.
  • All schools will be released three (3) hours earlier than the normal dismissal time.
  • All other after-school and evening activities across our district are cancelled.
  • All WIAA athletic and music events will be communicated separately.
  • There is no AM or PM preschool, no Head Start programs.
  • No out-of-district transportation.
  • Central Admin Office will close at 2 p.m.
  • All facility usage is cancelled Friday 2 p.m. through Sunday.

Our district boundaries encompass approximately 71 square miles, and we know the road conditions will not be the same for everyone this weekend. Our safety and operations teams will continue to monitor the weather and road conditions over the weekend. We will communicate as early as possible when any school decisions or plans are made for Monday, February 11. We are also making contingency plans for elementary school conferences scheduled for next week and we will share those plans when they are finalized.

The latest weather update is predicting that snow will likely fall after 11 a.m., continue through Saturday night and dump between 3-6 inches:

  • Friday: Snow likely, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
  • Friday Night: Snow. Low around 28. Wind chill values between 17 and 22. North northeast wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
  • Saturday: Snow likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34. Wind chill values between 14 and 24. Breezy, with a north northeast wind 16 to 21 mph increasing to 23 to 28 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
  • Saturday Night: Areas of blowing snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

Scott Schaefer

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