Advisory for Cold Weather

During the winter months cold temperatures, wind chill and snow can make getting to and from school challenging.

Our school and other CBE schools rarely close due to snow or cold weather. Assume we are open unless you hear otherwise from us. Information regarding any school closures due to weather will also be posted on the CBE website, on CBE’s social media channels and shared with local news media.

If your child will not be attending classes please ensure you contact the school attendance line to report the absence.

During the winter season we remind parents/guardians of the following:

  • Children should be well prepared for the weather and not left unattended at bus stops for any period of time, under any circumstances.
  • Families should ensure that they have back-up care arrangements if transportation is delayed. Children should have a warm place to stay before and after school (i.e. with a neighbour or a nearby relative).
  • All CBE schools will remain open to provide a safe, warm and secure environment for students

Learn more about Using Transportation in Cold Weather and Outside Activities Guidelines for Cold Weather.

Current Calgary Weather

The Calgary weather forecast that appears on our website is provided by Environment Canada through one of its two Calgary weather stations, and is not school specific.

The CBE has standardized the weather to use Environment Canada to create continuity for parents, employees and schools. We know that temperatures can fluctuate around our city and we want to ensure that we are all accessing and viewing the same information.

Guidelines are provided for students and cold weather, but if circumstances change, the principal has the final decision. ​​

Blue Dot Days

In extremely cold weather (wind chill or temperatures below -20 C), we have Blue Dot Days. On these days, we put a blue dot on the doors of the school. This means that all students should come into the school immediately through one of the main doors. They will be supervised until school starts. 

It is essential that all students come to school warmly dressed with a hat or hood, mitts and boots with them every day during the winter. Children need to be prepared in case an emergency should arise. Even with a chinook, the weather can change suddenly. If your child comes to school without proper outdoor clothing, we will phone and ask you to bring appropriate clothing to the school. The safety of our students is important to us.

Parents/guardians always make the final decision as to whether or not it is safe to send their child to school. If parents decide to send their child to school when the weather is severe, the school will be open to receive them. No student will ever be reprimanded for missing school in bad weather.

Environment Canada is the source of our weather information and direct observation will be the source of rainy day decisions. You can find the weather report on the bottom of our home page. When temperatures of –20 and below (including wind chill) are reported, or it is raining heavily, it will be declared a time for inside entry.