VIRGINIA — Several school districts across Central Virginia have canceled in-person classes for Monday, March 16, as forecasters warn of a significant risk of severe weather, including possible tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail.
The National Weather Service has placed much of Virginia under a Level 4 out of 5 risk for severe storms, a designation that indicates a higher likelihood of widespread severe weather.
School systems in the Richmond region — including Richmond Public Schools, Chesterfield County Public Schools, Henrico County Public Schools and Hanover County Public Schools — announced closures ahead of the anticipated storms.
Richmond Public Schools said classes will still take place but virtually and asynchronously, with assignments distributed to students through ParentSquare and Canvas.
Henrico County Public Schools also instructed students to work on assignments independently during the closure, while employees were told to telework when possible.
Chesterfield County Public Schools said the canceled day will be made up later in the school year. To recover instructional time, officials said school days will start five minutes earlier and end five minutes later beginning April 6 and continuing through the remainder of the academic year.
Powhatan County Public Schools also canceled classes and after-school activities Monday. Officials said the decision was made out of caution because the timing of the storm system could coincide with afternoon dismissal and student transportation.
School leaders acknowledged the cancellations may cause inconvenience for families but said the safety of students and staff was the top priority.
Meteorologists say the severe weather threat is expected to develop in two phases on Monday.
The first round of storms could arrive overnight into early Monday morning, with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible by daybreak. Rain chances are expected to increase through the morning, and strong thunderstorms may develop between about 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. across central and eastern Virginia.
A second and potentially more intense round of storms is forecast for the afternoon as a cold front moves into the region. The most powerful storms are expected between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with the system moving out of eastern Virginia by around 8 p.m.
Meteorologists say the storms could produce tornadoes with winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, as well as damaging straight-line winds and large hail.
Residents are encouraged to monitor weather alerts and have a plan in place in case warnings are issued during the day Monday. School officials said they will continue monitoring the forecast and provide updates if conditions change.
