Chicago Public Schools has canceled classes and afterschool activities Friday due to sub-zero temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills.
Schools are expected to reopen Monday, according to district officials. There will be no remote learning Friday, and CPS buildings will be closed to the public.
The most severe stretch of cold weather is expected from Thursday night into Friday morning. Temperatures could drop to minus 12, with wind chills as low as minus 35. Sub-zero temperatures are forecast through Sunday.
The arctic conditions pose a high risk for hypothermia, and can lead to frostbite in less than 10 minutes, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS has issued an extreme cold warning from 3 a.m. to noon Friday across central, north central and northeast Illinois.
City officials have urged residents to stay inside and wear extra layers of clothing. More than 200 warming centers will be open across Chicago, including community service centers, police stations and libraries.
Friday’s frigid temperatures could set a daily record. Chicago’s lowest recorded temperature for Jan. 23 is minus 4, last set in 1963.
