Orland District 135, St. Michael's Close Schools Friday, Move To E-Learning Ahead Of Extreme Cold

ORLAND PARK, IL — Orland District 135 students will stay home and attend school via e-learning ahead of anticipated extreme cold Friday, Jan. 23, the district announced early Thursday.

E-learning instructions and guidelines are shared on the District's website, officials said.

St. Michael's School in Orland Park has also opted for e-learning Friday, according to an email to families on Wednesday evening.

An extreme cold watch has been issued for late Thursday through Friday morning, as wind chills as low as 40 below zero are expected for the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service.

RELATED: Bremen D228 Closes Schools Friday, Moves To E-Learning Ahead Of Expected Extreme Cold

Wind chills that low can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, the weather service said. You should dress in several layers, including a hat, face mask and gloves if you must go outside, NWS advised.

The dangerous cold begins Thursday night into Friday morning, and bitter cold will continue through the weekend, according to the weather service.

The weather service said there is high confidence in a period of bitter cold from Thursday night to Saturday morning, but there remains uncertainty on how extreme the cold and wind chills will be.

The weather service is forecasting a high of minus 2 on Thursday night, with wind chills as low as 35 below zero, and a high of minus 5 degrees on Friday with wind chills as low as 25 below zero.