Weather Policy

Iowa Flyers Swim Club’ s primary concern is the safely and well-being of our student-athletes and their families. Inclement weather can, and does, affect us here in Iowa City and our surrounding communities. Because of the large number of athletes on our team, the variety of physical locations from which we all come, and different levels of experience when it comes to driving in unique weather conditions- we will aim to follow the ICCSD weather policy as closely as logically makes sense.

The ICCSD’s weather policy is listed below. You’ll note: wind chill is a major factor for children who are standing outside at school. At the CRWC and FH for IFLY practices, sustained wind chill is less of a factor. However, IFLY coaches want to ensure parents/guardians driving to and from practice can arrive safely, as well as newer drivers (age 15-18).

When ICCSD makes their decisions by 9 p.m. on the evenings preceding anticipated weather changes, IFLY coaches will discuss and communicate any changes by 10 p.m. at the latest.

If weather moves in overnight and is worse than anticipated, IFLY coaches will communicate practice changes by noon that next morning. We may get it wrong- weather may improve during the day. But, if we make a decision near noon, the decision is to help each family plan as soon as possible- rather than asking everyone to wait until the last possible second to scramble to get to the pools.

Practice changes or cancelations will be:

- Emailed to the entire team & Posted as a “News” article

- Broadcast on social media & the TeamFeed on our website

- edited to show “No practice” on our Team Calendar

 

If weather looks to be clearing, but we’ve already canceled practices, swimmers and parents (PRE-P, JRP, SRP, JR, SR) may request a written workout to complete at the CRWC in your own time or at another facility closer to home. We would prefer only older, more experienced swimmers were practicing on their own in those rare occasions; younger swimmers should enjoy a day off from practice, catch up on homework, read a book, and just be a kid.

 

 

Inclement Weather Guidelines

  • The safety and well-being of students and staff is our top priority and the decision to close, delay, or release school is no simple matter. Before deciding to modify the school day due to extreme weather conditions, the Superintendent consults with a variety of experts both inside and outside of the District. Our commitment is to keep students, families, and staff safe, and to keep the community informed of weather-related school closings, delays, and cancellations in a timely manner.

    The District must make one decision that is appropriate for more than 14,000 students. We recognize that this decision may not always fit with individual circumstances. Therefore, we support parents/guardians in making the best decision for their families.  Parents/guardians may choose to keep their children at home if they are concerned about their child’s safety due to weather conditions.  In this event, they must notify the school and the absence will be recorded as excused. 

    Please note that we continually monitor the forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS) in order to make the best decision for students, staff, and families in a timely manner. The District utilizes information from the NWS for Iowa City, Iowa City Municipal Airport (KIOW). The NWS’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wind chill index chart is utilized in the District’s decision-making process. The NOAA wind chill index chart can be found under Appendix A of these guidelines. 

    Announcements of District weather-related decisions are communicated through local media outlets (television, radio) and multiple District communication platforms.  Notification will be sent directly to families by phone, text, and email through the District’s Blackboard Mass Notification system. To receive notification through the District’s Blackboard Mass Notification system, please ensure your contact information (e-mail and phone) is accurate in Infinite Campus. Announcements are also posted on Iowa City Schools' social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), individual school websites, and the District website. In addition, the District utilizes the official Iowa City Schools mobile app to share weather-related notifications. 

    Please note, high school activity and athletic event decisions are determined at the building level and communicated by the building administrator/designee. Before and after school programs follow the same weather-related closing, late starts, and early dismissals as the school district.

Appendix A

  • NWS Windchill Chart
  • Cold Day
  • Snow Day
  • Late Start
  • Early Dismissal
  • Same Day Activities Cancellations
  •  
    • Closing due to temperature or wind chill.

School will be canceled if the forecast for 10:00 a.m. the following morning shows frostbite times of 30 minutes or less (see Appendix A). Notifications regarding cancellation will be made no later than 9:00 p.m. the night before a cancellation.** As a general practice, all activities are canceled unless otherwise noted.