Extreme cold has caused some schools in Warsaw and surrounding areas to cancel classes on February 2, 2026, with more institutions suspending lessons for multiple days.
Weather Warnings in Effect
On Mazowsze, IMGW-PIB has issued warnings of strong frost. Second-degree alerts cover parts of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, including the powiats of Ostrołęcki (including Ostrołęka), Ostrowski, Węgrowski, Sokołowski, Siedlecki (including Siedlce), and Łosicki. In other districts, first-degree warnings have been issued.
According to the IMGW-PIB warning, the minimum temperature is forecast from -29°C to -24°C on the night from February 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3, from -20°C to -17°C on the night from 3 to 4, and the maximum temperature during the day from -15°C to -11°C. The warning is valid until Wednesday, February 4, at 9:00 AM.
Wind at an average speed of 5-20 km/h may intensify the feeling of cold.
Affected Schools in Warsaw
In Warsaw, on February 2, classes were canceled in various institutions. In some districts like Bielany, schools were operating in standard mode, with the exception of LIX High School of Sports Education named after J. Kusociński, where morning training in outdoor facilities was suspended due to low temperatures.
Decisions in Surrounding Counties
Decisions to cancel classes also affected areas around Warsaw. In Miński County, on Monday and Tuesday (February 2 and 3), all classes in secondary schools were canceled, as decided by Starosta Remigiusz Górniak.
In Sochaczew, teaching activities were suspended on February 2 and 3, 2026, in Zespół Szkół Rolnicze Centrum Kształcenia Ustawicznego im. Bohaterów Walk nad Bzurą 1939 r. and Zespół Szkół Centrum Kształcenia Praktycznego im. Księcia Mazowieckiego Siemowita I. The announcement cited the forecast of very low temperatures, with an additional heating system failure in the dormitory preventing appropriate accommodation conditions.
Legal Basis for School Closures
The basis for suspending classes due to weather are regulations concerning safety and hygiene in schools. The director – with consent of the managing body – may suspend classes for a specified period when the external temperature measured at 9:00 PM on two consecutive days preceding the suspension is -15°C or lower.
Consent from the managing body can be given orally, including by telephone or electronic means, and should be recorded in a protocol, note, or annotation. After making the decision, the director informs students, parents, and the Mazowiecki Kurator Oświaty of the suspension.
