With winter storms expected to hit the Chicago area in the next few days, Chicago Public Schools has announced that it will cancel all aftercare and out-of-school programs on Thursday due to the weather.
Officials say students are expected to attend classes on Thursday, but will look at available projections Wednesday night to make a final decision.
“Students hope to have classes all day on Thursday, but the weather could cause schools to close early,” an official said. “All families will be contacted directly by us on Wednesday once a final decision has been made.”
Officials say there are no classes scheduled for Friday.
A winter storm watch is in place for the Chicago area beginning Thursday and will continue through Friday evening.
Snow can be heavy at times as the weather system moves toward the area. An even greater threat can emerge in dangerous winds, with gusts that can exceed 50 mph.
This will likely result in whiteout conditions and major snowstorms that could potentially make travel dangerous late Thursday through Friday.
Temperatures are also expected to plummet once the systems arrive, with highs forecast to reach single digits on Friday. Thursday’s wind chill can also drop well below freezing, with weekend wind chill likely to drop to 20-30 degrees below zero in some areas.