Extreme cold prompts school delays, closures across Minnesota for Tuesday
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Dangerously cold air that has settled across the Upper Midwest this week has prompted some school districts in Minnesota and neighboring states to cancel classes on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Districts canceling classes Tuesday include Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester.
Some other districts will be running on a delayed start, or have moved to online learning for Tuesday.
Air temperatures are forecast to drop in the teens and 20s — possibly 30s — below zero early Tuesday, with wind chills in the 30s and 40s below. Extreme cold warnings are in the place overnight and early Tuesday for the entire state of Minnesota.
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In the Twin Cities, the Salvation Army has opened its seven service centers as warming centers this week, with locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Brooklyn Park and Maplewood. Hennepin County and Ramsey County also have information about warming centers available for people who need them.
Authorities are urging people to check on neighbors and loved ones — especially older adults — to make sure they are safe amid the dangerous cold. They’re also reminding pet owners to not leave cats and dogs outside without shelter.
And the city of Minneapolis issued a reminder to residents about the risks of leaving vehicles running unattended in the cold weather, noting that thieves can easily take advantage of those situations.
“It is against the city ordinance to leave your key in the ignition while you are not in your vehicle,” the city reported in a news release. “If your car is reported stolen and your keys are in it, it may also invalidate your insurance coverage.”
Last Friday afternoon in south Minneapolis, a man stole a vehicle that had been left running with two children — ages 4 and 6 — inside. The suspect removed the older child from the vehicle and drove off with the 4-year-old still inside. The car was found by police within a half-hour with the child unharmed inside; the suspect had fled.
The city said it is legal to use remote start on vehicles that have it, because keys are not in the ignition and the vehicle can’t be moved.
School delays, closures
School districts with weather-related closures or delays Tuesday in Minnesota and neighboring states include:
Closed
Amery, Wis.
Austin
Becker
Big Lake
Blue Earth Area (flex learning day for grades 6-12)
Blooming Prairie
Bloomington (e-learning day for middle and high school students)
Brainerd
Breck
Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose
Butterfield-Odin
Cannon Falls Area
Centennial
Chatfield
Chisago Lakes
Cleveland
East Central
Eastern Carver County
Fairmont Area
Forest Lake Area
Goodhue
Grand Meadow
Hastings
Hill-Murray
Hinckley-Finlayson
Inver Grove Heights
Jackson County Central
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton
La Crescent-Hokah
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial
Lake Superior College
Lanesboro
LeRoy-Ostrander
Lyle
Mankato Area
Maple Lake
Maple River
Medford
Milaca
Minneapolis
Mora
Mountain Lake
Naytahwaush
New Prague (blended learning day for grades 6-12)
New Ulm
North Branch Area
Northfield
Ogilvie
Osceola, Wis.
Osseo Area
Owatonna
Pequot Lakes
Pine City
River Falls, Wis.
Rochester
Rockford Area
ROCORI
Rush City
Rushford-Peterson
St. Charles
St. Clair (e-learning day for grades 7-12)
St. Cloud
St. Croix Falls, Wis.
St. Francis Area
St. Michael-Albertville
St. Paul
Sartell-St. Stephen
Shakopee
South Central College — Faribault and North Mankato campuses
Southland
Stewartville
Superior, Wis.
Swanville
Triton
Waseca
West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan
White Bear Lake Area
Winona Area
Zumbrota-Mazeppa
E-learning day
Albany
Albert Lea Area
Annandale
Belle Plaine
Bemidji Area
Blackduck
Brooklyn Center
Browns Valley
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage
Byron
Caledonia Area
Cambridge-Isanti
Carlton
Cass Lake-Bena
Central Public Schools (Norwood Young America)
Crosby-Ironton
Dassel-Cokato
Dover-Eyota
Faribault
Farmington
Fillmore County Central
Fridley
Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop
Glenville-Emmons
Holdingford
Houston
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
Hutchinson
Jordan
Kimball Area
Kingsland
Lakeville Area
Lester Prairie
Litchfield
Mahtomedi
Martin County West
Monticello
North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale
Pine Island
Plainview-Elgin-Millville
Prescott
Princeton
Prior Lake Savage Area
Red Wing
Richfield
Robbinsdale Area
Roseville Area
St. James
Sleepy Eye
South St. Paul
South Washington County
Stillwater
Tri-City United
United South Central
University of Wisconsin-Superior
Wabasha-Kellogg
Waconia
White Earth Tribal and Community College
Windom
Worthington
Two-hour delay
Adrian
Aitkin
Alexandria
Ashby
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City
Badger
Bagley
Barnum
Battle Lake
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
Benson
Braham Area
Brandon-Evansville
Breckenridge
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart
Canby
Cherry
Clearbrook-Gonvick
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley
Cloquet
Comfrey
Cromwell-Wright
Dawson-Boyd
Delano
Detroit Lakes
Eden Prairie
Eden Valley-Watkins
Edgerton
Ellsworth
Esko
Ely
Fergus Falls
Floodwood
Fond du Lac Ojibwe
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Fosston
Frazee-Vergas
Goodridge
Grand Rapids Area
Greenway
Hendricks
Henning
Hill City
Hills-Beaver Creek
Hudson, Wis.
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Lac qui Parle Valley
Lake Benton (90-minute delay)
Lake Park-Audubon
Lakeview
Laporte
Le Sueur-Henderson
Little Falls
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle
Luverne
Lynd
MACCRAY
Mahnomen
Marshall
Marshall County Central
McGregor
Melrose Area
Minneota
Minnetonka
Minnewaska Area
Montevideo
Morris Area
Mountain Iron-Buhl
Murray County Central
Nevis
New York Mills
Nicollet
North Woods
Northeast Range
Onamia
Orono
Ortonville
Osakis
Parkers Prairie
Paynesville Area
Pelican Rapids
Perham
Pillager
Pine River-Backus
Pipestone Area
Red Rock Central
Renville County West
Rothsay
Royalton
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton
St. Louis Park
Sauk Centre
Sebeka
Sibley East
Somerset, Wis.
South Ridge
Springfield
Tower-Soudan
Underwood
Verndale
Wadena-Deer Creek
Walker Hackensack Akeley
Watertown-Mayer
Waubun-Ogema-White Earth
Wayzata
West Central Area
Wheaton
Willmar
Willow River Area
Yellow Medicine East
This list will be updated as additional delays and closings are reported. If you don’t see your school listed here, check with your district for updates.