Buffalo Students Transition To Remote Learning During Winter Storm

The weather we've had in Buffalo, Western New York, and the entire eastern seaboard has been pretty rough over the last week or so. Not only have we been getting socked with all sorts of rough winter snow, but there have been some extremely cold temps that have created difficult conditions all over the country. Over this past weekend, New York Governor Kathy Hochul put the Empire State into a state of emergency due to the weather. While things have gotten a little better, the impacts of cold and snow are still being felt from Niagara Falls to Nyack.

On Monday, January 26, 2026, schools all over the state, including those in Erie and Niagara County, canceled classes and kept kids home in an effort to keep children and staff safe from the below-zero wind chills and snow that could be measured using a yardstick. With New York wrapping up its statewide Regents Exams last week, which were also impacted by the cold, many students have been home from school for several days.

KEEP READING: Buffalo Schools Hope Cash Lottery Will Help With Student Attendance

Because conditions haven't improved all that much in Buffalo, the Buffalo Public Schools are keeping kids home again today, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, but with a twist that probably won't make them all that happy.

All students and staff have been asked to stay home from their school buildings and engage in their remote learning plan.

Students will connect remotely for a day of learning using their school-issued or personal devices through such platforms as Schoology, Clever, and Teams, or use instructional materials previously sent home with students.
-Buffalo Public Schools

The snow and cold have also impacted the district officials' ability to score those Regents exams from last week, so unless weather conditions change again, high school students in Buffalo will stay on remote learning on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, to give district staff the time to score tests and get the results transmitted to Albany. If this happens, it would only apply to high schools, while students in elementary and middle schools would go to school as a normal day are set to be normal.