The Chicago area is facing an extreme cold watch later this week, but what will that mean for schools?
With wind chills as low as -35 degrees possible across much of the region, frostbite could happen in as little as 10 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
The watch is in effect from late Thursday evening through Friday morning.
Will schools close due to the cold?
Such temperatures and wind chills have forced dozens of school closures in previous winters, but it remains unclear if schools will close due to the cold this week.
Wind chills as low as -25 were reported earlier this week, but most schools were not in session due to the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
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Many school districts also post about closings on social media and on their website homepage, and communicate with their school community via phone, email and text message notifications.
What does it take to close school for cold?
While most school administrations say they place a strong emphasis on keeping buildings open, the safety and welfare of students and staff can force schools to close during extreme weather.
The threshold for when weather is wintry enough to close schools isn’t decided by a particular degree of temperatures or amount of snowfall, instead, several factors typically go into the decision making process on if a school will close.
For Chicago Public Schools, the district said it “works closely with the experts at the City’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication (OEMC) to help guide decision-making when it comes to school closures.”
The following criteria is evaluated before a decision is made:
Air temperature and wind chill The amount of snow and ice on the ground The accessibility of buildings and roads Potential issues with heating/cooling systems or power outages The ability to transport students safely on busesCPS noted that its maintenance crews regularly test equipment and heating systems to ensure they’re working properly, the district said, and every school has a snow removal plan to keep sidewalks, walkways and parking lots clear for students and staff.
“CPS also closely monitors weather forecasts and makes all decisions related to school closings based on the health and safety of our students,” their website states.
Meanwhile, Glenview School District 31 closes schools if an extreme cold warning is issued, however, they will remain open under a cold weather advisory.
Naperville District 203 considers regular updates from their buildings and grounds team, local municipalities, area school districts, National Weather Service and transportation providers when deciding whether to close schools, according to the district website.
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