Last night, every TikTok live that came onto my feed was of snow.
It’s been a cold couple of days for multiple areas of the UK, including parts of Scotland, all of Northern Ireland, parts of northern England, north Wales, and the north Midlands, the Met says.
They warn that the phenomenon is likely to coincide with rush hour on Tuesday morning, with the UK set to turn even colder after that. The relentless cold will only let up on the weekend, forecasters say.
All this will likely have children and adults alike wondering the same thing ― so does that mean school is out, or not?
Luckily, there are a couple of handy tools that let you check the status of your local one in seconds.
Which are?
IT provider AdEPT Education offers an OpenCheck site, which promises to give you the live status of your child’s school.
“This easy-to-use service presents information regarding school closures in case of emergency, severe weather or any news which may affect children’s ability to attend or access the school,” their site reads.
You can select your school from their drop-down menu and see its status, though not all schools are registered.
If your local school isn’t listed on there, the government’s site can help too.
They give you the option to put your postcode into their search bar, saying, “School closures happen because of an emergency like severe weather.”
Once you’ve done that, you’ll be taken to your local council’s page.
This may display the status of your school.
If all else fails, you may be able to look at your school’s social media or ring them up.
When is the weather too bad to commute?
Your school may be open, but you may be wondering if the conditions on the way there are safe enough to drive through.
In that case, the Met Office warns, “You can… look for clues on road conditions such as ice on the pavement or on your windscreen before you start your journey and take extra care.”
They advise avoiding minor roads in snowy and icy conditions if possible. The Met also stresses the importance of clearing away snow from the roof of your car and condensation from your windshield before driving, so your visibility is good.
The forecasters also say you should avoid driving on hilly areas, especially when it’s icy out.
Other snowy driving precautions they advise are:
- Accelerate gently, using low revs. You may need to take off in second gear to avoid skidding
- You may need 10 times the normal gap between your car and the car in front
- Try not to brake suddenly – it may lock up your wheels and you could skid further
- Be extra cautious at road junctions where road markings may not be visible
The Met adds that you should “only travel if really necessary,” so use your judgement to decide how safe your route is likely to be.
You may get weather warnings near you if conditions are likely to affect your drive.