Amid bone-chilling wind chill forecasts, the University of Iowa is moving classes online.
All college courses will be held virtually via Zoom or Teams on Friday, Jan. 23, the university announced in a HawkAlert. Some courses may be cancelled altogether, though that is a “rare circumstance,” the UI said.
The University of Iowa’s offices and services will remain open despite the frigid temperatures, and employees should report to work, “safety permitting,” or contact their supervisor about their specific conditions, a release said.
Wind chills could fall as low as 35-below in Iowa City
The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities is forecasting “life-threatening” wind chills as cold as 35 degrees below zero in Iowa City between 12 a.m. and noon on Friday, Jan. 23. An extreme cold warning is in effect until noon on Jan. 23.
A cold weather advisory is also in effect from midday on Jan. 23 to noon on Saturday, Jan. 24. The NWS is forecasting wind chills as cold as 25 degrees below zero overnight Friday into Saturday. Accumulating snow is also possible in areas south of Interstate 80 on Saturday into Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The ice-cold temperatures are part of a winter weather system forecast to chill much of the country and blanket areas in the central and southern United States with snow totals exceeding one foot.
More than 132 million people are under winter weather advisories for snow, sleet or freezing rain, the National Weather Service said on Thursday, Jan. 22. More than 100 million people were facing watches and warnings for cold weather.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: UI cancels in-person classes as forecasts call for frigid temperatures
Reporting by Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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