Winter weather spurs Hoover City, Shelby County Schools to start two hours late Friday

Hoover public schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule Friday due to the threat of winter weather on Friday, school officials said this evening.

All buses will run their regular routes two hours later than usual, and all Hoover schools will start two hours later than usual. School system employees, including child nutrition employees but excluding transportation personnel, should report to work by 9 a.m.

As of this evening, there were no plans to cancel after-school activities Friday afternoon and evening, school officials said. However, they will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the night and early morning and issue additional updates if warranted, they said.

While Shelby County Schools initially reported it would monitor weather conditions and make an announcement around 5:30 a.m., the school system announced Thursday around 7 p.m. that it would conduct a two-hour delay on Friday.

"After consulting further with our Shelby County EMA and the National Weather Service, Shelby County Schools WILL conduct a 2 hour delay Friday morning. All bus routes will delay 2 hours. Shelby County schools will delay the start of school by 2 hours," read a post on the Shelby County Schools Facebook page.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for central Alabama, saying that accumulating snow is possible in grassy and elevated areas in parts of central Alabama that include Jefferson and Shelby counties. There could be up to one-quarter-inch to one-half-inch of snow accumulation, with up to 1 inch of snow accumulation in higher elevations in east Alabama, the weather service said.

See the National Weather Service Birmingham office website for the latest forecast information.