Houston Independent School District (HISD) announced Friday that all schools, campuses, and offices will be closed Monday, January 26, 2026, due to an approaching winter weather system expected to bring freezing temperatures and hazardous conditions to the Houston area.
The storm is forecasted to bring freezing temperatures as well as precipitation, which would lead to icy road conditions. Monday morning lows are forecast near 22 degrees, putting the region deep into a hard freeze. District officials prioritized student and staff safety, noting that any ice that formed on Sunday is slow to melt, and freezing rain or icy conditions may persist.
Before announcing Monday's closure, HISD announced several changes to upcoming events: All boys and girls varsity basketball games originally scheduled for Friday were played Thursday, Jan. 22. All Saturday varsity basketball games were played Friday, Jan. 23. All subvarsity boys and girls basketball games scheduled for Friday were canceled and will not be rescheduled. All varsity soccer matches scheduled for Saturday were moved to Thursday, Jan. 22. All varsity wrestling events are canceled and will not be rescheduled. All remaining academic UIL events scheduled for Saturday are canceled and will not be rescheduled.
The district would inform families by Sunday about any potential closures on Tuesday. Parents should check ParentSquare, the district website, and HISD's social media pages for the latest updates. The winter storm is part of a larger system impacting much of the U.S. this weekend, with the National Weather Service issuing a winter storm warning for some Houston-area counties, including Harris, Liberty, Waller, Fort Bend, Austin, Colorado, Grimes, Montgomery, Washington and Wharton from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday. Neighboring districts including Katy ISD, Fort Bend ISD, and Conroe ISD also announced closures for the same day.