Busing & Transportation
Using Transportation in Cold Weather
Students and parents are reminded that extra caution should be taken during the winter months and periods of extreme weather. Calgary’s weather can include cold temperatures, wind chill and snow that make getting to and from school challenging. Please review this important information with your children.
Be Prepared.
- Dress for the current and changing weather conditions. There may be a longer wait at the bus stop and buses cool off quickly if there are mechanical issues on the road.
- Never leave your child alone at a bus stop.
- Have a back-up childcare plan in case of delays.
- Give your child clear instructions about what to do if the bus doesn’t show up.
- Use a backpack to help your child carry school items more easily in snow and ice.
Criteria to Cancel Buses
Calgary’s large school boards, through the Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG), have created consistent criteria to cancel school bus transportation due to extreme cold conditions.
Requirements for school bus cancellation:
- -35°C (ambient temperature) *
- -40 windchill *
*Measured by
Environment Canada
In the event of extreme weather conditions, alerts will be provided to families the evening before. A final decision about whether buses will run will be made by 5:15 a.m. on the day of service and communicated to families by 6 a.m. the day of service.
CBE schools are open even if transportation is cancelled, unless otherwise communicated.
Note | Calgary Transit will communicate its own cancellations and delays.
Transportation Delays
During the winter, roads may be congested and slippery, resulting in possible traffic and bus delays. Unexpected mechanical problems with the bus may also occur more frequently at this time of year.
How Delays are Communicated
