Winter Flurries Disrupt the School System

Gaston/Cleveland County (WNN) - Snow flurries fell over Gaston and Cleveland counties on Thursday, January 5th, 2026. This led school districts to push back their start times as officials monitored winter weather affecting the area. 

Light snow began early this morning and continued through the lunch hour. The snowfall did not stick to the roads, leaving them safe to drive on as long as drivers used caution. Many have traveled out to their jobs, out to eat, and to get groceries. 

Winter Weather Affects Schools

Gaston County Schools were already scheduled to operate on a two-hour delay on Thursday for students and staff.

Cleveland County Schools closed for the day at the following locations:

• Burns High School
• Burns Middle School
• Casar Elementary
• Fallston Elementary
• Union Elementary
• Washington Elementary

Schools located in the Crest, Kings Mountain, and Shelby attendance zones operated on a two-hour delay for students and staff. 

Impact Statistics

Overall, students in both counties have gone nine straight days without attending a full day of school.

Here are those statistics:

Gaston County

• Closed - January 26
• Remote - January 27
• Remote - January 28
• 2-hour delay - January 29
• 2-hour delay - January 30
• Closed - February 2
• Remote -  February 3
• Remote - February 4
• 2-hour delay - Feb 5

Cleveland County

•  Closed - January 26
• Closed - January 27
• Closed - January 28
• Closed - January 29
• Two-hour delay for schools in the Crest, Kings Mountain, and Shelby attendance zones. Schools in the Burns attendance zones closed. - January 30
• Closed - February 2
• Closed - February 3
• Closed - February 4
• Closed for schools in the Burns attendance zone. Two-hour delay for Crest, Kings Mountain, and Shelby - February 5

 Will Remote Learning Be Enough?

Students in both counties have missed a significant number of days due to the past two winter storms that have affected our area. Will they be required to have make-up days? Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have already made changes to their school calendar due to the winter storms. Will Gaston and Clevland County follow in their footsteps?

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