Timmins Snow Day Predictor & Calculator
Will PDSB close tomorrow?
Timmins is not a typical Ontario snow day city — it is in a league of its own. The Porcupine District School Board closes 15 to 20 times per year, more than any major Ontario board. Timmins sits in the Clay Belt of northeastern Ontario where 300 to 330cm of snow falls annually, Hudson Bay weather systems produce 40cm+ storms, and wind chill below -45°C occurs multiple times per winter. Snow days here are not exceptional — they are routine.
PDSB covers Timmins, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Matheson, Smooth Rock Falls, and all communities across the Porcupine and Abitibi districts. Rural routes to outlying communities are assessed separately — and they close far more readily than Timmins city streets. The predictor accounts for both snowfall accumulation and extreme cold, since wind chill closures are as common as snow closures in Timmins.
PDSB Announcement Window
By 6:30 AM
PDSB announces slightly later than southern Ontario boards — rural route assessments across Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, and Matheson take longer. Check at 9pm and again at 5:30am for the most accurate pre-announcement read.
Why Timmins Has More Snow Days Than Anywhere Else in Ontario
Three factors combine to make the Porcupine District School Board the most prolific school-closing board in Ontario.
Extreme Snowfall — Clay Belt Effect
Timmins sits in the Clay Belt — a flat agricultural region of northeastern Ontario where snow accumulates without the natural drainage and terrain variation that limits accumulation in Shield country. Hudson Bay weather systems tracking south deposit 40 to 50cm in single events. Alberta clippers amplified by flat terrain produce consistent heavy snowfall. Timmins averages 300 to 330cm annually — more than double Toronto and comparable only to Barrie and Sudbury among major Ontario cities.
Extreme Cold — Independent Closure Trigger
Timmins experiences wind chill below -40°C multiple times per winter — events that are extraordinary in Toronto but routine in northeastern Ontario. PDSB closes for extreme cold independently of snowfall. A clear blue-sky day with -45°C wind chill closes all 18 PDSB schools just as surely as a 40cm snowstorm. This cold-day closure trigger is unique to northern Ontario boards and makes Timmins' closure frequency unlike anything in southern Ontario.
Remote Communities — Long Bus Routes
PDSB bus routes to Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Matheson, and Smooth Rock Falls cover distances that dwarf anything in southern Ontario. Rural Highway 101 east and Highway 11 north are the primary bus corridors — when these routes are unsafe, the entire board closes. The sheer distance of rural routes means road condition deterioration becomes dangerous faster than urban plowing can respond.
Timmins vs Ontario average: Ontario's average school board closes 5 to 8 times per year. PDSB closes 15 to 20 times. A Timmins student misses more school to weather in a single winter than a Toronto student misses in four winters combined.
Timmins School Boards — PDSB & NCDSB
Two school boards serve Timmins and the Porcupine district — both almost always align on closure decisions.
Porcupine District School Board
PDSB covers Timmins, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Matheson, and Smooth Rock Falls — 18 schools across the Porcupine and Abitibi districts. Wind chill below -40°C triggers cold-day closures independently of snowfall totals.
Northeastern Catholic District School Board
NCDSB almost always aligns with PDSB. Both boards monitor the same road conditions across the Porcupine and Abitibi districts. Always verify at ncdsb.on.ca directly.
PDSB Snow Day Predictor — Iroquois Falls, Cochrane & Porcupine District
PDSB covers vast northeastern Ontario territory. One predictor serves all communities.
Iroquois Falls Snow Day Predictor
Iroquois Falls falls under PDSB. Located east of Timmins along Highway 101, Iroquois Falls sits deeper in the Clay Belt and often receives heavier accumulation than Timmins city during Hudson Bay weather events. When PDSB closes, Iroquois Falls schools close simultaneously.
Cochrane Snow Day Predictor
Cochrane falls under PDSB. Located north of Timmins along Highway 11, Cochrane is closer to James Bay and faces even more extreme cold events than Timmins city. Rural routes between Cochrane and surrounding communities are among the most remote in PDSB territory and frequently drive board-wide closure decisions.
Matheson & Smooth Rock Falls
Matheson and Smooth Rock Falls fall under PDSB. These small communities along Highway 11 and Highway 634 have some of the most remote school bus routes in Ontario. Rural route conditions here are typically the deciding factor in PDSB closure decisions — when Matheson routes are unsafe, all 18 PDSB schools close.
Verify Here When the Announcement Drops
PDSB announces by 6:30 AM — slightly later than southern Ontario boards. Always verify from official sources before deciding.
Timmins PDSB Snow Day History
What actually closed Timmins schools — snowfall events and cold-day closures.
Hudson Bay weather system deposited 45cm across Timmins and Porcupine District in 36 hours. PDSB closed for two consecutive days. Wind chill reached -48°C. Highway 101 east of Timmins closed to all traffic.
Arctic outbreak with wind chill reaching -50°C across Timmins region. PDSB closed for cold-day safety — one of the coldest events on record for northeastern Ontario. All rural routes in Cochrane and Iroquois Falls declared unsafe. No significant snowfall — pure cold-day closure.
Late-season major storm deposited 40cm across Timmins and surrounding communities. PDSB closed. One of the largest March snowfall events on record for the Timmins region. Rural Matheson and Cochrane routes impassable for two days.
Is It a Snow Day Today in Timmins Ontario?
Check the probability gauge at the top of this page for today's PDSB snow day status. The predictor updates every 30 minutes from live Environment Canada data. If you are checking after 6:30 AM on a storm morning, go directly to pdsb.on.ca or @PDSBSchools on Twitter for the official announcement. CKGB 101.5 FM broadcasts PDSB closures from 6:30 AM.
Will There Be a Snow Day Tomorrow in Timmins?
Check at 9pm tonight for the best early read on tomorrow's PDSB snow day probability. In Timmins, both the snowfall forecast and the overnight wind chill forecast matter — a clear night with -45°C wind chill forecast closes schools just as surely as 30cm of snow. Check again at 5:30am before the 6:30 AM PDSB announcement. Given PDSB's 15 to 20 annual closures, scores above 60% at 9pm have a high historical hit rate in Timmins.
Timmins Snow Day Calculator — What Are the Chances?
The Timmins snow day calculator runs two parallel scoring tracks — a snowfall track covering overnight accumulation, precipitation type, storm timing, and active Environment Canada warnings, and a cold-day track covering wind chill forecast, overnight temperature drop, and Arctic air mass position. PDSB's boardMultiplier of 1.2 is the highest of any Ontario board in this predictor — reflecting 15 to 20 annual closures and the harsh realities of northeastern Ontario winters.
Timmins Road Conditions
Highway 101 · Highway 11 · Highway 144 · Porcupine District Roads
Highway 101 east toward Iroquois Falls, Highway 11 north toward Cochrane, and Highway 144 south toward Sudbury are the key corridors monitored by PDSB transport and road assessors. When these routes show closure warnings on 511on.ca alongside an active Environment Canada winter storm warning or extreme cold warning, a full PDSB school closure is very likely.
What Do Timmins Parents Think?
Will PDSB close tomorrow? Cast your vote — resets daily at midnight.
Community vote — not a prediction. Check the probability gauge above for the algorithm-based score.
Northern Ontario — Nearby Cities Snow Day Predictor
Snow Day FAQ — Timmins & PDSB
Timmins questions about PDSB school closure decisions.
What school board serves Timmins Ontario?
The Porcupine District School Board (PDSB) serves public schools in Timmins, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Matheson, Smooth Rock Falls, and all communities in the Porcupine and Abitibi districts. PDSB closes 15 to 20 times per year — more than any major Ontario board.
How many snow days does Timmins get per year?
Timmins averages 15 to 20 school closure days per year — the highest closure frequency of any major Ontario school board. Timmins receives 300 to 330cm of snow annually and faces extreme cold events with wind chill below -45°C multiple times per winter.
What time does PDSB announce closures?
PDSB announces by 6:30 AM — slightly later than southern Ontario boards because rural route assessments across Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, and Matheson take longer. Check pdsb.on.ca or Twitter @PDSBSchools. CKGB 101.5 FM and CBC Radio One 101.1 FM broadcast announcements from 6:30 AM.
Does wind chill close Timmins schools?
Yes — wind chill below -40°C triggers PDSB cold-day closures regardless of snowfall. Timmins experiences wind chill below -40°C multiple times per winter. A clear blue-sky day with -45°C wind chill closes all 18 PDSB schools just as surely as a 40cm snowstorm. This cold-day closure trigger is unique to northern Ontario boards.
Does PDSB cover Iroquois Falls and Cochrane?
Yes — PDSB covers Timmins, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Matheson, Smooth Rock Falls, and all communities in the Porcupine and Abitibi districts. When PDSB closes, all 18 schools across this entire region close simultaneously.
Does NCDSB close when PDSB closes?
Almost always. Northeastern Catholic District School Board and PDSB monitor the same road conditions across the Porcupine and Abitibi districts and typically announce within minutes of each other. Always verify at ncdsb.on.ca directly.