By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
OZARK — All public schools across Dale County will begin classes later than usual on Monday as local officials monitor the threat of severe weather expected to move through the area early in the morning on Monday.
Dale County Schools announced Sunday that all campuses will operate on a two-hour delay on Monday, March 16, following consultations with the Dale County Emergency Management Agency.
“After conversations with Dale County EMA, Dale County Schools will have a two-hour delay on Monday, March 16 due to severe weather,” the school system said in a statement. “Please stay safe and weather aware.”
Ozark City Schools also confirmed a two-hour delay for Monday under the recommendation of the Dale County Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the safety of students, staff, and transportation operations.
Under the adjusted schedule, buses for Ozark City Schools will begin routes at approximately 9 a.m. All campuses will open their doors at around 9:30 a.m., with classes scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. School officials announced that both breakfast and lunch will still be served, despite the delayed start, and staff members have been instructed to report to work by 9 a.m.
Daleville City Schools announced it will also operate on a two-hour delay on Monday due to the severe weather threat. School officials stated that buses will follow their normal routes, but each route will start two hours later than usual.
District leaders said they will continue monitoring weather conditions and road safety in coordination with the Dale County Emergency Management Agency and local law enforcement. Any additional schedule changes or updates will be communicated through school notification systems and official social media channels.
According to the National Weather Service, conditions are expected to deteriorate overnight as a line of storms approaches the Wiregrass region.
Sunday afternoon is forecast to be mostly sunny with a high near 81 degrees and a south-southwest wind around 15 mph.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop late Sunday night, mainly after 4 a.m., with some storms potentially becoming severe. The overnight low is expected to drop to around 47 degrees with winds around 15 mph and gusts as high as 25 mph. Rainfall totals could range between a quarter and half an inch.
On Monday, showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue, but they are expected to dissipate as the day progresses Monday. Temperatures are forecast to fall throughout the day, dropping to around 49 degrees by early afternoon. Conditions will also become breezy with northwest winds between 15 and 20 mph and gusts reaching up to 30 mph. Rainfall amounts could range between a tenth and a quarter inch, though higher totals are possible within thunderstorms.
Behind the storm system, cooler and drier weather is expected to move into the area. Monday night is forecast to be partly cloudy with a low around 31 degrees and northwest winds between 5 and 15 mph.
Sunny skies are expected Tuesday with a high near 53 degrees, followed by mostly clear conditions Tuesday night and a low around 30 degrees. Wednesday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high near 60 degrees.
