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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – As winter weather returns to Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, students and teachers across the region will be wondering whether they will have school the next day.

Well, there is a website that can help.

The snow day calculator predicts the probability of a snow day for a specific area. The site uses an algorithm that has grown from a middle school project launched nearly two decades ago into a nationwide phenomenon with over five million users per year.

Are snow days making a comeback for Arkansas students?

The calculator only needs a zip code to make a prediction.

Launched in 2007 by David Sukhin when he was in middle school, it uses data from the National Weather Service to analyze factors such as storm timing, wind conditions, temperature and ice forecasts, according to The New York Times. It also takes into account historical closure patterns for specific schools and regions.

The calculator can only predict whether your school or business will close due to weather. The decision is of course made by the school or company.

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