Extremely cold weather sweeping across the region heading into the weekend is causing a wave of cancelations in the Aurora area, including at schools and parks.
Friday morning, temperatures are expected to drop to minus 11 or minus 12 degrees, with windchills up to minus 30 or minus 35, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Zachary Yack. He said that the coldest temperatures are expected just before daybreak on Friday, and the high that day is expected to be zero degrees with windchills around minus 20 to minus 25.
At those temperatures, Yack said, people can get frostbite in five to 10 minutes and can get hypothermia “pretty quickly.” The recommendation is that people stay inside at least until Saturday afternoon, he said, but if people absolutely have to go out for short periods of time, they should wear multiple layers of loose fitting clothing covering as much skin as possible, including gloves, scarves, hats and face-coverings like ski masks, he said.
Temperatures will begin to rise through the weekend and early part of next week, Yack said, but the area is still set to see lower than normal temperatures throughout the week.
Some school districts and private schools across Aurora have announced that classes will be canceled or moved online on Friday because of the extreme cold.
East Aurora School District 131 will have an e-learning day on Friday. All school buildings plus the district office will be closed, and students should log on to their online platforms at 8:30 a.m. for further instructions, according to a district spokesperson.
All of the district’s after-school and evening activities are canceled, except high school boys’ and girls’ wrestling practices, the spokesperson said.
West Aurora School District 129 canceled classes and is set to close all schools on Friday, with no e-learning. The time will be made up on April 6, the district’s first emergency make-up day of the year, according to a statement from Superintendent of Schools Michael Smith.
All extracurricular activities scheduled for Friday are also canceled, and parents should stay tuned for further communication from their child’s school about weekend activities, the superintendent’s statement said.
Indian Prairie School District 204 is having an e-learning day on Friday, and students should check Google Classroom for their assigned materials, a post on the district’s website says. All district schools and buildings will be closed Friday, plus all before-school activities and athletics are canceled that day.
Batavia School District 101 is moving to e-learning on Friday, and all school buildings will be closed to in-person learning.
Oswego School District 308 is also having an e-learning day on Friday, as the extreme cold will create “serious safety concerns for students walking, waiting at bus stops and during transportation,” a post on the district’s Facebook page says.
Kaneland School District 302 announced on Facebook it too will be having an e-learning day on Friday, and that all of its schools will be closed.
Aurora Central Catholic High School, Marmion Academy and Rosary College Prep are also having remote learning days on Friday. There will be no school Friday at Aurora Christian Schools, according to its website.
Rosary’s Fine Arts Showcase, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, has been rescheduled to Feb 1. It will be held at 4 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the McEnroe Auditorium at Rosary, and all tickets will be honored for the new date.
Another event originally planned for Saturday but now canceled is the annual Frosty Fest, which was set to be held at the Fox Valley Park District’s Red Oak Nature Center.
“We’re really disappointed that it was too frosty for Frosty Fest this year,” Red Oak Facility Manager Christy Graser told The Beacon-News.
The event revolves mainly around two self-guided trail experiences plus an outdoor campfire, Graser said. So although it was a difficult decision to cancel, she said, families wouldn’t have been able to have the kinds of experiences staff wanted them to have.
Plus, staff and volunteers would have needed to set up for it on Friday, the coldest day, so it made more sense just to make sure everyone stayed home where its warm, according to Graser.
Despite Frosty Fest’s cancelation, she said the Red Oak Nature Center will remain open, and anyone looking to warm up can come into the wildlife room that’s kept toasty warm for the reptiles and amphibians hosted there. The park district is not closing any parks or trails due to the cold, except that the Gregory Island Dog Park is closed all winter because of accessibility concerns, a district spokesperson said.
Aurora’s Phillips Park Zoo will be closed Friday to keep animal exhibits safe and warm, according to a city spokesperson.
The city and community partners are providing temporary warming centers during the cold weather, including an overnight warming center at 712 S. River St. that is expected to see more use this weekend because of the extreme cold. A list of these warming centers can be found at www.aurora.il.us/WarmingCenters.
Kane County Circuit Clerk’s Office locations and courthouses will be physically closed on Friday for the safety of court-goers and staff, the county announced Thursday. All court proceeding for the Kane County 16th Judicial Circuit Court will be held remotely on Zoom, and more information can be found at www.kanecourt.org.
Those looking to visit Kane County government buildings on Friday are encouraged to call ahead, as in-person services may be limited or unavailable depending on the office or department. Many non-emergency county operations will be conducted remotely for safety reasons, a county spokesperson said.
The Illinois Tollway will have around-the-clock patrols through Monday to more quickly find and help drivers who need roadside assistance. Drivers whose cars have mechanical problems or who are stranded along the tollway during the upcoming dangerously cold weather should immediately dial *999 for roadside assistance and remain inside their vehicles until help arrives, tollway officials said in a news release.
There is a chance for some snow on Saturday night into Sunday, with around one to four inches expected in Aurora, according to meteorologist Yack. Regardless of the amount, he said, snow during these cold temperatures will probably result in slippery travel conditions.
The extremely cold weather is being caused by a cold front on Thursday evening that came from the Arctic, Yack said. That’s going to “hang out” for at least a few days, he said, until another system from off the Pacific coast moves into the area later in the weekend and in the early parts of next week.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
