ASHEVILLE – Asheville City and Buncombe County schools will open two hours later Jan. 9 as Western North Carolina braces for heavy rain and strong winds.

ACS spokesperson Avery Greene told parents in a Jan. 8 email that buses will run on a delayed schedule and not travel on icy roads. She instructed parents to arrange alternative transportation if kids’ bus routes are impacted.

Elementary schools will begin at 10 a.m. and secondary schools will begin at 10:30 p.m., Greene’s email said.

Students at both city and county schools will be able to pick up breakfast when they arrive at school.

According to Buncombe County Schools spokesperson Stacia Harris, all county schools will also be on a two-hour delay, noting that buses won’t travel on icy roads.

“This is due to forecasts of high winds and heavy, potentially freezing rain that could make travel difficult, particularly for younger drivers,” her emailed statement read.

Both city and county schools said they will release information on after-school activities as the day unfolds.

Caitlin Stulberg, a parent of an ACS elementary student, learned about the delay while watching the College Football National Championship game. She informed her son that he could stay up through the fourth quarter due to the delay.

More: WNC ‘dynamic storm system’ will bring heavy rain, possible flooding to Asheville area

Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen Times. Email him at mblack@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville City Buncombe schools delayed Jan. 9 as WNC braces for storm