District 146, Kirby D140 Close Schools Friday, Move To E-Learning Ahead Of Extreme Cold

TINLEY PARK, IL — District 146 and Kirby District 140 students will stay home and attend school via e-learning ahead of anticipated extreme cold Friday, Jan. 23, the districts announced Thursday.

Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 40 below zero are expected for the Chicago area on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. An extreme cold warning has been issued from 3 a.m. to noon on Friday for the area. The anticipated extreme cold has already prompted school closures around the area, and some county courts are going remote.

"Due to forecasted sub-zero temperatures and wind chills, Friday, January 23, will be an eLearning day for all students, teachers, and support staff," District 140 said on social media. "K-8 students should log in to Seesaw or Google Classroom at 8 am for Zoom links and schedules. PreK and EC families will be contacted by their classroom teachers via email."

District 146 students will bring home their devices and should watch for information from their teacher on Seesaw or Schoology, that district said.

In Orland Park, District 135 and St. Michael's School have opted for e-learning.

In Tinley Park and Oak Forest, Bremen District 228 announced yesterday that schools would close and e-learning is in effect for Friday. Also in Oak Forest, Forest Ridge District 142 and Arbor Park District 145 also moved to e-learning.

The weather service said there is a high confidence in a period of bitter cold with dangerous wind chills from Thursday night through Saturday morning. There is still some uncertainty on just how extreme the cold will be.

The cold will begin Thursday night, when temperatures could get as low as -14, and wind chills could be as low as 40 below zero. The cold continues into Friday morning, and by Friday afternoon, wind chills could still be as low as 25 below zero, according to the weather service.

Saturday morning will see a high of -2 degrees, and wind chills as low as 10 below zero will continue into Saturday afternoon.

Winds will also gust as high as 25 mph on Thursday night into Friday morning, according to the current forecast.

"Some areas will likely see actual temps remain below zero all day Friday," the weather service said.

The weather service advised staying indoors if possible, bringing pets indoors and letting faucets drip slowly to prevent frozen or burst pipes. Frost bite can occur in as little as 10 minutes with this cold.

READ MORE: Extreme Cold Timeline: When It Will Hit, What To Expect