Several major Mid-Michigan school districts have announced closures for Friday as dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills are expected early Friday morning.
Lansing School District announced Thursday that schools will be closed Friday, January 23, due to forecasted cold temperatures. In a notice posted to its website, the district said all activities in Lansing School District buildings Thursday evening must end by 7 p.m., with the exception of varsity athletics.
East Lansing Public Schools also announced it will be closed Friday because of the extreme cold.
Okemos Public Schools and Potterville Public Schools have also announced closures for Friday due to the cold.
Several districts are making the decision a day in advance, as the coldest conditions are expected early Friday morning, when students would normally be heading to school or waiting for buses. District leaders have said calling closures early gives families time to plan and reduces the risk of students being exposed to extreme cold.
The closures come as forecasters warn that temperatures across Mid-Michigan will fall below zero, with wind chills dropping into the negative double digits.
Walt Felver, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the cold will be widespread across the region.
“We’re going to get below zero all across Mid-Michigan,” Felver said. “Temperatures will be well below zero. The question is, how low below zero?”
Forecasters have warned that wind chills could fall as low as minus 20 degrees during the early morning hours Friday, increasing the risk for frostbite and hypothermia.
Felver urged people to look out for one another during the extreme cold.
“Check in on others, make sure they’re ok, make sure their heat didn’t go out,” he said. “Weird things happen when it gets really, really cold.”
More Mid-Michigan school districts are expected to announce closures or delays as conditions continue to develop.
