All schools in the Macon County School System will be closed Thursday, according to Director of Schools Dan Hampton.

The decision to cancel was made during a 4 p.m. meeting with Hampton and staff. The cancellation comes as the National Weather Service predicts one to three inches of snow falling between 3 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday.

"While we realize this announcement is premature to the storm we feel this is a serious winter storm and at the recommendation of the Local Emergency Management authorities we feel it is much safer to be safe than sorry," Hampton said in a release. "We hope this early announcement will allow parents, students and staff to make necessary arrangements. Depending on the seriousness of this storm an announcement concerning School for Friday, January 8th, will be made a soon as possible so all stakeholders can plan accordingly. Please take all necessary precautions and be safe!"

Schools include: Central Elementary, Fairlane Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, Westside Elementary, Macon County High School, Macon County Junior High School, Red Boiling Springs School and Red Boiling Springs Elementary School.

A decision is yet to be made concerning Thursday night's school board workshop. The decision will be made Thursday.

A reinforcing arctic air mass, according to the Nashville Weather Service, is diving down through the Northern Plains with temperatures in the single digits across the Dakotas in the early afternoon hours of Wednesday. The leading edge of the arctic air mass will move down into Western Missouri Wednesday night and into far West Tennessee around daybreak Thursday.

Snow is already falling in advance of this system which will move into western Middle Tennessee just before daybreak and then advance eastward during the morning and continue into the afternoon, according the National Weather Service. The leading edge of the arctic air mass is expected to pass through Nashville during the early afternoon on Thursday with winds shifting to the west and becoming gusty. The leading edge of the air mass is expected to reach the plateau by 5 o’clock Thursday afternoon. Snow amounts are expected to range from 1 to 2 inches.

If snow is impacting your business or event, e-mail Times managing editor Brad Gaskins immediately at bgaskins@hearltandpublications.com and it will be immediately updated at maconcountytimes.com. If e-mail isn’t an option for you, Gaskins can be reached 24/7 at 615-888-6113. No time is too late at night or early in the morning to call.