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Inclement Weather Procedures

The Denison ISD website is the OFFICIAL notification location regarding inclement weather cancellations or delays. In the event that the district closes, dismisses early or delays school for weather-related issues, local television and radio stations will be notified by the district via ParentSquare. Campus Facebook pages and district Twitter (Denison ISD @denisonISD or DISD Communications @DISD_PR_COMM) accounts may also be utilized forms of communication for Denison ISD. Social media is a great way to connect and interact with our students online.

Ensuring the safety of our Yellow Jacket students and staff is our main priority during a weather event. Denison ISD monitors the National Weather Service and local meteorologist forecasts before making decisions to close, dismiss early or delay school.

Factors considered before making a weather-related decision about school include:

  • road conditions, temperatures
  • the presence of snow, ice, and sleet
  • bus route rider and driver safety
  • teen driver safety
  • sidewalk and parking lot conditions
  • staff driver safety
  • the conditions of our District facilities

 

Texas School Safety Center Winter Storm Definitions

Freezing Rain – Freezing rain occurs when snowflakes descend into a warmer layer of air and melt completely. When these liquid water drops fall through another thin layer of freezing air just above the surface, they don't have enough time to refreeze before reaching the ground. Because they are “supercooled,” they instantly refreeze upon contact with anything that is at or below 0 degrees Celsius, creating a glaze of ice on the ground, trees, power lines, or other objects. A significant accumulation of freezing rain lasting several hours or more is called an ice storm.

Ice Storm – A storm that results in the accumulation of at least 0.25” of ice on exposed surfaces. The conditions related to an ice storm can create hazardous driving and walking conditions. Tree branches and powerlines can easily snap under the weight of the ice.

Sleet – Sleet occurs when snowflakes only partially melt as they fall through a shallow layer of warm air. These slushy drops refreeze as they next fall through a deep layer of freezing air above the surface and eventually reach the ground as frozen raindrops.

Snow – Most precipitation that forms in wintertime clouds starts out as snow because the top layer of the storm is usually cold enough to create snowflakes. Snowflakes are collections of ice crystals that cling to each other as they fall toward the ground. Precipitation continues to fall as snow when the temperature remains at or below 0 degrees Celsius from the cloud base to the ground.

Wind Chill – Wind chill is the term used to describe the rate of heat loss from the human body resulting from the combined effect of low temperature and wind. As winds increase, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate, driving down both the skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature.

 Winter Storm – A winter storm is a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow, sleet, freezing rain, and/or dangerous wind chills. A winter storm can be life-threatening according to the National Weather Service.

Winter Storm Warning – Issued when a combination of hazardous winter weather in the form of heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is imminent or occurring.