Winter Weather Causes School Closures at 450 Schools - Winter Storm Chaos Forces 450 Schools in Hesse to Close Suddenly
Hundreds of Schools in Hesse Cancel In-Person Classes Due to Snow and Ice
Around 450 schools in Hesse have canceled in-person instruction as a precaution due to snow and icy conditions, with students and parents notified at short notice.
Snow and slippery roads led to widespread class cancellations on the first day back after winter break. A spokesperson for Hesse's Ministry of Education told the German Press Agency (dpa) that individual schools made the decisions in coordination with local education authorities.
The ministry emphasized that regional and school-level decisions—rather than a statewide closure of all 1,800 public schools—were the "right approach" given the varying weather conditions across the state.
Schools informed students and parents about the cancellations via websites, email, and social media. Some provided assignments for remote learning, the spokesperson said, while many also offered emergency childcare for families in need.
Affected areas included numerous schools in Waldeck-Frankenberg district, Wetterau district, and Rheingau-Taunus district, where officials had urged students and parents via Instagram to check their school's website for updates.
The German Weather Service (DWD) had issued severe weather warnings for parts of Hesse, forecasting black ice. Just a day earlier, the Ministry of Education had stated in response to inquiries: "No extreme weather conditions are currently expected in Hesse at the start of the week." Authorities had therefore assumed a "normal return to school after the holidays." The ministry spokesperson later explained that the weather had been difficult to predict, making last-minute decisions the most practical solution.
