Columbia-area closures announced due to impending SC winter ice storm
Numerous schools and municipal facilities in the Midlands are closing or canceling events in advance of a potentially dangerous winter storm bearing down on South Carolina this weekend.
The storm, which is expected to have the greatest impact from early Saturday evening into Sunday morning, could drop a hazardous mix of freezing rain and sleet on the region that may make travel treacherous and lead to significant power outages, according to the National Weather Service.
A portion of the Midlands, including all of Richland and Lexington counties, is under an ice storm warning from 1 p.m. Saturday until 1 p.m. Monday.
The current forecast calls for anywhere from a quarter-inch to a half-inch of ice accumulation and another quarter-inch to a half-inch of sleet in the Columbia metro area.
While precipitation is likely to trail off by late Sunday night, very cold temperatures following the storm could cause refreezing on wet surfaces and create lingering impacts into early next week.
Gov. Henry McMaster on Friday requested a federal emergency disaster declaration to assist storm response efforts, and multiple local school and government officials have announced the closure or cancellation of facilities and events this weekend and into early next week.
The State is keeping a running list of area closures and cancellations that will be updated as information becomes available:
Richland County
- The Richland County Recreation Commission will close facilities at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24. All facilities, athletic fields, LinRick Golf Course, the Wellness Center and the administrative office will be closed on Sunday, Jan. 25 and Monday, Jan. 26. In addition, the Recreation Commission’s January board meeting, scheduled for Monday, has been canceled.
- Richland County government offices, solid waste and recycling facilities will be closed to the public Monday, Jan. 26
- The South Carolina State Museum will be closed Sunday, Jan. 25.
- All Richland County library locations will close at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, and will remain closed Sunday, Jan. 25, and Monday, Jan. 26.
- Richland 1 School District have cancelled school and will close all administrative offices Monday, Jan. 26. The district will not offer e-learning on Monday due to possible power outages.
- Richland 2 officials said that schools and offices will be closed on Monday. Students will have an e-learning day, and staff will have a remote work day.
- Lexington-Richland 5 School District has canceled all in-person classes Monday, Jan. 26 and will transition to e-Learning. All after school childcare programs and extracurricular events are canceled Saturday through Monday. The high school’s late start on Wednesday, Jan. 28, and elementary/intermediate early release on Thursday, Jan. 29, are also canceled in order to maximize face-to-face learning time.
- The Lexington-Richland 5 school board meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26 is canceled. The board will hold an abbreviated special-called virtual meeting on Tuesday morning instead.
- The City of Columbia will close all facilities on Monday. Public safety and other essential functions will operate as normal. For all emergencies, please call 911.
- The COMET bus system in Richland and Lexington counties, as well as their fixed-route and DART service, is suspended for Sunday. All services will resume Monday with an approximate two-hour delay for start of regular service.
Lexington County
- Lexington-Richland 5 School District has canceled all in-person classes Monday, Jan. 26 and will transition to e-Learning. All after school childcare programs and extracurricular events are canceled Saturday through Monday. The high school’s late start on Wednesday, Jan. 28, and elementary/intermediate early release on Thursday, Jan. 29, are also canceled in order to maximize face-to-face learning time.
- The Lexington-Richland 5 school board meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26 is canceled. The board will hold an abbreviated special-called virtual meeting on Tuesday morning instead.
- Lexington 1 will cancel school for all students and employees on Monday. All schools and district offices will be closed and all after-school activities are canceled. It will not be an e-learning day and the district will make up this school day in person on Feb. 16, 2026. Additionally, Wednesday will now be a full school day for all students.
- Lexington 2 will move to an e-learning day on Monday, and all campuses will be closed. There will be no after school activities, programs, or games.
- Lexington 3 officials said that Monday will be an e-learning day, and all after-school events including sports practices, meetings, etc. are also canceled.
- Lexington 4 will transition to an e-learning day for all schools Monday, and all after-school activities and athletics are canceled.
- All City of West Columbia parks will be closed at dusk on Saturday, January 24, 2026, and remain closed until further notice.
- The COMET bus system in Richland and Lexington counties, as well as their fixed-route and DART service, is suspended for Sunday. All services will resume Monday with an approximate two-hour delay for start of regular service.
Kershaw County
- Kershaw County School District has canceled all weekend activities and will shift to an e-Learning Day on Monday, Jan. 26. All school buildings and offices will be closed, and all Monday after-school activities are also cancelled.
Orangeburg County
- Orangeburg circuit and family courts will close at noon Friday, Jan. 23.
- Orangeburg County School District will observe a two-hour delay for all students and staff on Monday. All schools and offices will open two hours later than normal, and bus pickup times will also be delayed by two hours.
Newberry County
- Newberry County School District will operate on an e-Learning schedule on Monday, Jan. 26. The district also postponed its regularly scheduled board meeting, originally set for Monday, Jan. 26, until Thursday, Jan. 29.
Sumter County
- Sumter County School District will have an e-Learning day on Monday, Jan. 26, which means that all schools and office buildings are closed, and all activities, including athletic events and field trips, are canceled.
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Columbia-area closures announced due to impending SC winter ice storm."