Allison Ross

Louisville Courier Journal

As widely expected, Jefferson County Public Schools will be closed a third day this week as a storm bears down on the Louisville area.

JCPS' 155 schools will again be shuttered Friday, the district decided after looking at morning weather forecasts.

Chief Operations Officer Michael Raisor said Thursday that JCPS was readying its schools for classes, but said he was monitoring the situation to see if schools needed to be closed Friday.

The makeup day for students getting to have the day off will be Feb. 29 - which is a real date because this is a leap year.

Louisville Weather Closings

Because schools were also closed Wednesday and Thursday this week, students will also now have to attend classes on March 31 and April 1.

JCPS will operate five Emergency CEP sites on Friday. They are:

Bates: 1601 Bardstown Road

Coleridge-Taylor: 1115 W. Chestnut Street

Greathouse: 2700 Browns Lane

Northeast Family YMCA, 9400 Mill Brook Road

Olmsted South: 5650 Southern Parkway

A 3 a.m. update from the National Weather Service has shifted the forecast for Friday’s storm slightly, with some parts of Louisville now expected to get a fewer inches of snow than previously expected.

Yet Jefferson County will still be in a winter storm warning from about 7 a.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday, with parts of Louisville expected to get 4 to 6 inches of snow and other parts slated to see more like 6 to 8 inches.

The weather service warned that the morning commute in Louisville may be clear but that travel could become “very hazardous, or even impossible, in the afternoon.”

The Archdiocese of Louisville announced shortly after JCPS that its schools would also be closed Friday.

Bullitt County Public Schools announced Thursday afternoon that its schools would be closed Friday, with the superintendent posting on social media that "I'm not a fan of calling off based on forecasts, but in this case, prudence demands it - or at least strongly suggests it." Several school districts in Indiana have also made the decision to remain closed Friday, including Greater Clark, New Albany-Floyd and Clarksville.

JCPS has one more snow day after this built into its calendar. After that, the district will have to extend the end of the school year.

Last year, JCPS was closed for a total of 10 days due to snow or other inclement weather issues.

Reporter Allison Ross can be reached at (502) 582-4241. Follow the Courier-Journal's education team atFacebook.com/SchooledCJ.