Orillia Snow Day Predictor & Calculator
Will SCDSB close tomorrow?
Orillia sits between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching at the convergence zone between Georgian Bay lake-effect snow and Lake Simcoe enhancement. The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) serves Orillia — one of the largest geographic school boards in Ontario. The city averages roughly 200 cm of snowfall per season, and SCDSB closes roughly 8 times per year — more than any GTA board.
SCDSB covers all of Simcoe County — from Barrie and Orillia to Collingwood, Innisfil, Midland, and Bradford. Rural routes assessed by Student Transportation of Simcoe County (STSC) often drive board-wide closures that Orillia city parents never see on their own streets. Check stsc.ca for bus status alongside scdsb.on.ca for the official announcement.
SCDSB Announcement Window
By 6:00 AM
SCDSB announces by 6:00 AM on the storm day. SMCDSB typically announces within minutes. Student Transportation of Simcoe County (STSC) posts rural bus cancellations at stsc.ca — often the fastest early signal before the official board announcement.
Why Orillia Has More Snow Days Than the GTA
Three factors combine to make SCDSB one of the most closure-active southern Ontario school boards.
Georgian Bay Lake-Effect
Orillia sits between Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching, exposed to Georgian Bay lake-effect systems that can deposit 30–60 cm on the western county while Orillia receives far less — or vice versa. A clipper tracking across Lake Simcoe can bury Orillia while leaving Barrie dry. The city averages roughly 200 cm of snowfall per season.
No Partial Closures
SCDSB closes board-wide across all of Simcoe County simultaneously. When Orillia schools close, so do Barrie, Collingwood, Innisfil, Midland, Bradford, and Wasaga Beach — no exceptions. There are no partial regional closures. One closure decision closes all 100+ schools across the county.
STSC County-Wide Assessment
Student Transportation of Simcoe County (STSC) rural school buses across the county must be viable before SCDSB opens. Conditions in Innisfil, Bradford, and Collingwood often drive closures that Orillia city parents never see on their own streets. When STSC cancels buses district-wide, an SCDSB closure almost always follows.
Orillia vs GTA average: GTA boards average 3–5 closures per year. SCDSB averages 8. Simcoe County's geographic breadth and Georgian Bay exposure make it one of the most closure-active southern Ontario boards.
Orillia School Boards — SCDSB & SMCDSB
Two school boards serve Orillia and Simcoe County — both almost always align on closure decisions.
Simcoe County District School Board
SCDSB covers all of Simcoe County — Orillia, Barrie, Collingwood, Innisfil, Midland, Bradford, and Wasaga Beach. The board closes district-wide when conditions are unsafe across the full county footprint — no partial closures by region.
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
SMCDSB almost always aligns with SCDSB. Both boards monitor the same Simcoe County road conditions and typically announce within minutes of each other. Always verify at smcdsb.on.ca directly.
SCDSB Snow Day Predictor — Innisfil, Collingwood & Midland
SCDSB covers all of Simcoe County. One predictor serves every community under the board.
Innisfil Snow Day Predictor
Innisfil falls under SCDSB south of Barrie along Lake Simcoe. Long rural routes through Bradford and Alliston are among the first assessed on storm mornings — when Innisfil county roads are unsafe, SCDSB often closes the entire board including Orillia city schools.
Collingwood Snow Day Predictor
Collingwood falls under SCDSB on Georgian Bay — directly in the path of lake-effect snow squalls that can deposit 30–60 cm while Orillia receives far less. When Collingwood rural routes are impassable, all SCDSB schools across Simcoe County close simultaneously.
Midland & Penetanguishene
Midland and Penetanguishene fall under SCDSB on the northeast shore of Georgian Bay. Rural routes through Tiny and Tay townships are frequently the deciding factor in SCDSB closure decisions — when Midland area buses cannot run safely, all 100+ SCDSB schools close.
Verify Here When the Announcement Drops
SCDSB announces by 6:00 AM. Check stsc.ca for bus cancellations. Always verify from official sources before deciding.
Orillia SCDSB Snow Day History
What actually closed Orillia and Simcoe County schools — major storm events.
A powerful low combined Georgian Bay lake-effect with a frontal snowband, depositing 40–55 cm across Simcoe County in 18 hours. SCDSB closed board-wide for two consecutive days — the first back-to-back closure in several years.
A province-wide winter storm brought 30–45 cm to Simcoe County with extreme wind and blowing snow. SCDSB closed all schools across the county, including Orillia, Barrie, Collingwood, Innisfil, and Midland simultaneously.
A persistent Georgian Bay lake-effect band targeted Simcoe County for over 48 hours, dropping 60+ cm on communities from Collingwood to Barrie. SCDSB issued multiple closures as rural routes became impassable.
Is It a Snow Day Today in Orillia Ontario?
Check the probability gauge at the top of this page for today's SCDSB closure probability. Our tool updates every 30 minutes from live Environment Canada data. If you are checking after 6:00 AM on a storm morning, go directly to scdsb.on.ca or @SCDSB_Schools on Twitter. If SCDSB is closed, all Simcoe County schools — including Innisfil, Collingwood, and Midland — are closed too.
Will There Be a Snow Day Tomorrow in Orillia?
Check at 9pm tonight for the best early read on tomorrow's SCDSB snow day probability. Tomorrow's forecast is calculated across all of Simcoe County — Georgian Bay lake-effect risk, overnight accumulation totals, and rural route conditions in Innisfil and Collingwood all factor into the prediction. Check again at 5:30am before the 6:00 AM SCDSB announcement.
Orillia Snow Day Calculator — What Are the Chances?
SCDSB closes roughly 8 days per year — about 4–5% of school days. The Orillia snow day calculator accounts for the board's county-wide closure threshold, Georgian Bay lake-effect exposure, and STSC rural bus viability. Scores above 60% at 9pm have a strong historical hit rate for Simcoe County closures.
Orillia Road Conditions
Highway 11 · Highway 12 · Simcoe County Roads
Highway 11 through Orillia, Highway 12 toward Midland, and county roads through Innisfil and Bradford are the key corridors monitored by STSC and SCDSB assessors. When rural county routes show closure warnings on 511on.ca alongside an active Environment Canada warning, a full SCDSB closure is very likely.
What Do Orillia Parents Think?
Will SCDSB close tomorrow? Cast your vote — resets daily at midnight.
Community vote — not a prediction. Check the probability gauge above for the algorithm-based score.
Simcoe County & Central Ontario — Nearby Cities Snow Day Predictor
Snow Day FAQ — Orillia & SCDSB
Orillia questions about SCDSB school closure decisions.
What time does SCDSB announce school closures?
SCDSB typically announces by 6:00 AM on the storm day. Check scdsb.on.ca and @SCDSB_Schools on social media. Local radio — Barrie 93.1 and Kool 107.5 — broadcast SCDSB closure announcements from 6:00 AM.
Does SCDSB close all of Simcoe County at once or by region?
SCDSB closes board-wide — all schools across all of Simcoe County simultaneously. There are no partial regional closures. When Orillia schools close, so do Barrie, Collingwood, Innisfil, Midland, Bradford, and Wasaga Beach schools under SCDSB.
Does the Orillia snow day predictor also cover Innisfil, Collingwood, and Midland?
Yes — all of these communities are served by SCDSB. Our predictor is calibrated to SCDSB's board-wide closure threshold. A snow day prediction for Orillia applies equally to Innisfil, Collingwood, Midland, Wasaga Beach, and Barrie under the same board.
Does SMCDSB close at the same time as SCDSB?
Almost always. Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board monitors the same county-wide road conditions and typically announces within minutes of SCDSB. Always verify at smcdsb.on.ca for Catholic school families.
What percentage of the time does SCDSB close — what is the snow day percentage?
SCDSB averages roughly 8 closure days per year, approximately 4–5% of school days. This is higher than GTA boards but lower than northern Ontario boards. The wide geographic footprint means rural route conditions often trigger closures city-only parents might not have expected.
What triggers an SCDSB snow day in Orillia specifically?
SCDSB bases closures on county-wide conditions, not Orillia city roads alone. If rural routes in Innisfil, Bradford, or Collingwood are unsafe, all SCDSB schools close including Orillia. Georgian Bay lake-effect warnings and overnight snowfall above 20 cm across the county are the strongest closure signals.