STORY UPDATE: SCHOOLS BEGIN CLOSING EARLY AHEAD OF COLD. WE HAVE A LIST OF THE LARGEST DISTRICTS HERE
With dangerously cold wind chills expected early Friday morning, families across Mid-Michigan are waiting to see whether schools will close.
WKAR News contacted several local school districts to ask how decisions are made when extreme cold is part of the forecast. Jackson Public Schools, Grand Ledge Public Schools, and Waverly Community Schools say sustained wind chills around minus 20 degrees are typically the threshold for canceling classes.
Districts say decisions are usually made early in the morning, with the goal of notifying families by about 5:30 a.m. WKAR News has calls out to other districts, including Lansing, and is waiting to hear back.
The concern comes as forecasters warn that the coldest conditions of this stretch will arrive Friday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures across Mid-Michigan are expected to 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.
“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, increasing the risk for hypothermia and frostbite.
Felver has also urged people to look out for one another during periods of extreme cold.
“Check in on others, make sure they’re ok, make sure their heat didn’t go out,” Felver said. “Weird things happen when it gets really, really cold.”
For perspective, Michigan State University canceled classes during a similar cold snap in January of 2019, citing anticipated and sustained wind chills below minus 20 degrees.
WKAR News will continue updating this story as more school districts share their plans.
