Schools still adjusting plans as freezing cold grips Midlands after snowstorm

Freezing temperatures following a weekend snowstorm in South Carolina continues to impact the Columbia area.

Concerns over potentially treacherous driving conditions Tuesday morning has prompted multiple Midlands school districts to alter their plans.

The Lexington-Richland 5 school district will operate on a two-hour delay Tuesday, citing concerns about road conditions as snow and ice continued to linger days after a heavy snowstorm blanketed the Midlands.

“While the majority of our roads are clear, we want to allow time for conditions to continue to improve,” the district said in a news release Monday afternoon. “School District Five officials will continue to monitor our area and will notify families and staff of any additional schedule changes using the district’s automated communications system, the district website, and social media.”

Bus routes will also operate on a two-hour delay, although the rest of the district’s schedule will continue as normal Tuesday, including after-school programs. A scheduled late start for middle and high school students in the district Wednesday will be canceled, the news release said.

Richland 2 went further and announced an e-Learning day for Tuesday. School facilities and district offices will be closed for a second day in a row, and all after-school activities for Tuesday will be canceled.

Richland 1 also announced a shift to e-Learning on Tuesday, with all district staff working remotely from home. That change was made “out of an abundance of caution,” the district said in a Facebook post Monday. All after-school programs and activities in Richland 1 on Tuesday will also be canceled.

“The safety of our students and staff is always the primary consideration in deciding whether to change normal operations and schedules due to weather-related factors,” Richland 1 said in their post. “Several areas around the district, including secondary roads, still have icy patches that could cause unsafe driving conditions.”

Lexington 1 also announced a two-hour delayed start for its schools in the central part of Lexington County, citing icy conditions on more rural roads in the county.

Lexington 2 said it will operate on a two-hour delay Tuesday in a message on Facebook Monday afternoon. While after-school activities are planned to continue as normal, students and parents are encouraged to check with their coaches, advisors and schools to confirm.

Lexington 3 will operate on a 2-hour delay Tuesday, because of the continued threat of black ice on the roads during the early morning hours, officials said Monday in a news release. That means that school start times and car rider dropoff times are 2 hours later than normal.

Additionally, bus riders should report to their stops 2 hours later than their usual time, while staff should report to their schools/offices 2 hours later than their regular arrival time, according to the release.

Schools will dismiss students at their normal times, and Lexington 3 will follow its regular schedule for the rest of the week, officials said. That includes an early release day on Wednesday.

Lexington 4 also announced a two-hour delay Tuesday on Monday afternoon, saying below-freezing temperatures projected overnight could cause dangerous driving conditions in the Gaston-Swansea area. Schools will operate on a normal schedule for the rest of the day Tuesday.

The Newberry County School District previously announced that it will operate on an e-learning schedule on Tuesday. Student assignments can be found in Schoology.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 1:38 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription

Bristow Marchant

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription