Here are school closures for Bellingham and Whatcom County for Friday, Jan. 17.
Bellingham Public Schools are closed for Friday, Jan. 17, due to snow remaining from storms early in the week.
Superintendent Greg Baker, in an email to parents Thursday, Jan. 16, said: “my gut says to make the call now on the side of safety. I’d like to wrap up this challenging week and encourage everyone to enjoy the MLK weekend, regroup, and start back up on Tuesday.”
“While the roads are looking pretty darn good in some spots, the weather is not fully cooperating. Just a few minutes ago I found myself in the midst of freezing rain/snow with cars sliding through intersections. It’s snowing outside right now in many parts of the city, and it’s supposed to be on and off throughout the night and through tomorrow with a mix of snow and rain, although the total accumulation isn’t expected to be extreme,” Baker wrote.
The Meridian, Mt. Baker, Lynden and Ferndale school districts and Assumption Catholic have also canceled classes for Friday, according to flashalert.net.
Blaine, Nooksack Valley and Lummi Nation schools will be closed Friday, according to their websites.
Western Washington University’s campus is closed Friday, according to an email from spokesman Paul Cocke.
Bellingham Technical College will open at 10 a.m. Friday, according to the school’s website.
Whatcom Community College is open Friday, according to its website, which notes “Even though the college is open regular hours today, weather conditions where you live should determine whether you feel it is safe to travel to campus. “
Bellingham Public Schools will provide free meals Friday, as it did Thursday, in recognition that school closures can impact students’ access to food. Sites and times are 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Shuksan Middle School cafeteria, Eliza Court, Villa Santa Fe, Sterling Meadows and Regency Park.
Email Jessica.Sankey@bellinghamschools.org with questions about how to access a meal or food.
This story will be updated as other districts make decisions about closing or staying open.
For more information, check your district’s website: Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lummi Nation, Lynden, Meridian, Mount Baker, Nooksack Valley.
College information is also available online: Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian College, Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College. WWU suggests calling their storm line at 360-650-6500.
Flash Alert Newswire updates school openings and closings for Seattle and Western Washington.
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 3:14 PM.
