The threat of severe thunderstorms, high winds and potentially hail has the school systems in Orange, Chatham and Durham counties changing plans on Friday.

Durham Public Schools announced around 10:30 a.m. they would be ending classes two hours earlier than normal because of the weather forecast, with all after-school activities being canceled as well.

Not long after, the two Orange County school districts and Chatham County Schools announced they would also cancel after-school programs, athletic events and extracurriculars due to the impending storm. Both Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools, however, will still release at their normal times. Chatham County Schools will do the same.

As of early Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service is forecasting storms of varying strengths to pass through central North Carolina in the late afternoon and evening hours. Possible hazards include “damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and large hail.” Orange, Durham and Chatham counties are in the forecasted path of the storm system and are expected to see rainy weather on Saturday after any storms Friday night.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Orange, Chatham School Districts Announce Early Releases Ahead of Tuesday Storms
Ahead of high winds and severe storms expected in central North Carolina on Tuesday, Orange and Chatham County school districts are planning for early releases. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools and Chatham County Schools districts each sent out messages to parents on Monday night, saying their operations will only run for part […]
Orange, Chatham County School Districts Closed Monday Due To Hazardous Weather
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools and Chatham County Schools will all be closed on Monday, Mar. 16, due to forecasted hazardous weather conditions. The trio of local school districts sent out alerts to their families on Sunday night to share their decisions and warn of the impending weather. “Monday’s weather forecast calls for […]
Orange County Schools Cancels Class for Tuesday; CHCCS Issues 2-Hour Delay, Sets Normal Operations For Wednesday
Orange County Schools will hold no instruction on Tuesday, Dec. 9, over concerns for road conditions, while CHCCS will operate on a delay.
Orange County Schools Closed, CHCCS Declares Remote Learning for Thursday As Cold Temps Keep Snow and Ice
Thanks to a light snow that fell Tuesday night, the Orange County community saw its schools cancel instruction on Wednesday.
Schools Preparing for Possibility of Inclement Weather
Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools have canceled all after-school activities after 5 p.m. on Wednesday ahead of the possibility of inclement weather. Chatham County Schools have joined CHCCS and OCS in canceling all after-school activities for Wednesday. Durham Public Schools are closing one hour early on Wednesday and canceling after-school […]
The Morning News: Vehicle Break-Ins, CHCCS Redistricting
In today's news: Chapel Hill officials warn about a recent string of vehicle break-ins, and CHCCS moves ahead on elementary redistricting.
Local Government Meetings: September 14-18, 2026
This week in local government: a greenway network in Chapel Hill, and busing concerns and elementary school redistricting for CHCCS.
Orange and Chatham County School Districts Celebrate Performance Milestones for 2025-26 Year
The Orange County, Chatham County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school districts are celebrating positive performance trends demonstrated in the latest accountability report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. All 13 Orange County Schools earned a performance grade of “C” or higher for the 2025-26 school year, marking the first time since 2017 that […]
Orange County Issued Tornado, Thunderstorm Warnings As Storm Cell Rolls Through Piedmont
UPDATE: Hillsborough and Rougemont in Orange County are under a tornado warning through at least 9 p.m., says the National Weather Service. Tornado Warning continues for Hillsborough NC until 9:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/G2JMfYgKJF — NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) July 29, 2026 Below is our original story. Central and southern Orange County is under a tornado warning […]
Here’s What You Need to Know Before CHCCS, Orange County High Schools’ 2026 Graduations
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools will celebrate its high school graduates across three days this weekend. 
›