Frigid temps forcing area schools to cancel or delay classes for Monday, March 4
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one before.
A smattering of metro-area schools have announced cancellations or delayed starts Monday due to dangerous winter weather.
The closures and delays come on the heels of yet another winter storm that struck Kansas City early Sunday morning, bringing about three inches of snow and an emergency declaration from the city.
However, it isn’t the snow that’s keeping kids out of school.
“A lot of folks woke up Sunday morning and walked outside and said, ‘Can it get any colder?’” said Walt Otto, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill. “Well, yes it can.”
Temperatures south of the river in Kansas City on Monday morning are expected to fall between zero and 5 degrees. North of the river it was expected to be even colder, from minus-10 to zero. Wind chills were expected to reach minus-12.
By 10:30 p.m. nearly 20 schools districts had made the call to alter Monday’s schedule because of the frigid temperatures, including: Kansas City Public Schools, Lee’s Summit, Park Hill, Grandview, Belton, Independence, Grain Valley, Raytown and others.
A number of districts, including Raymore-Peculiar, Excelsior Springs, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville, optioned to begin with a two-hour delay instead of canceling school altogether.
No Kansas schools have yet to report closings or delayed starts.
One Kansas district, Gardner Edgerton, advised its students to bundle up for Monday while many of the Missouri schools were announcing closings.
The news did not go over well with Gardner students, who were quick to display their displeasure.
Still, the list of canceled schools and activities is expected to grow as the night continues.
This story was originally published March 3, 2019 at 11:02 PM.