Several schools in the Chicago area have made the decision to close or transition to e-learning on Tuesday due to the anticipated arrival of extremely cold wind chills.
Some schools in the region closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but others decided to extend their closures to Tuesday due to the anticipated worsening of the bitter temperatures.
A cold weather advisory has been issued for the entire Chicago area until 12 p.m. Monday, with wind chills dropping as low as 20 degrees below zero. This advisory will be reactivated at 9 p.m. and will last until 12 p.m. Tuesday, with wind chills expected to reach as low as 20 to 25 degrees below zero.
On Tuesday, the morning will kick off with temperatures hovering around -6 degrees. This chilly weather will be accompanied by wind chills ranging between -15 and -25 degrees.
According to the Emergency Closing Center, several schools in the Chicago area had planned to close on Tuesday. These include Horizon Science Academy Belmont in Chicago, City of Hobart Schools in Indiana, District 155 in Calumet City, and Faith Movers Academy in University Park. However, it remains uncertain whether all of these closures were solely due to the cold weather.
The City of Hobart Schools issued an alert stating that they would be transitioning to e-learning due to the extreme windchill factor.
Classes at Faith Movers Academy in University Park have been canceled for Tuesday due to inclement weather. Both in-person and virtual learning will not take place.
On Wednesday, there is expected to be some relief from the frigid temperatures with highs in the low 20s and a chance of light snow. However, despite this small reprieve, wind chills will still remain in the single digits, according to Sack.
According to Sack, we can expect temperatures to rise to the mid-30s by the weekend, accompanied by intermittent snowfall.