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How Cold It Has To Be For Mpls.-St. Paul Schools To Close

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Temperatures have been above-average for so many days this winter so far that the forthcoming cold snap is going to feel particularly brutal.

The bitterly cold weather blowing across the country comes to Minnesota going into Thursday. As the winds crank up, so does the danger for those who aren't properly dressed for them.

WEB EXTRA: Cold Weather Resources

Strong gusts of wind are expected to kick up the snow that fell in parts of Minnesota earlier this week, causing near white-out conditions in the west and northwest parts of the state.

On Thursday, the temperatures bottom out, with "feels like" temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees below zero in the Twin Cities.

Here are the cold weather rules for Minneapolis and St. Paul schools.

The Minneapolis school district says, "MPS will likely cancel classes if the wind chill forecast for 6:30 a.m. the following day is -35° or colder, with winds of at least 5 to 10 miles per hour."

St. Paul said that schools would be cancelled if the forecast for 6 a.m. the following morning shows air temperatures below negative 25 degrees or wind chills below negative 35 degrees.

Anoka-Hennepin schools said they rely on the National Weather Service's warning system.

"If the National Weather Service issues a "wind chill warning" stating that exposed skin can become frostbitten in less than 15 minutes, then the district will likely make a decision to close. If a wind chill advisory is in effect, students who are properly dressed for the weather should be able to walk to school or wait for the bus without risking frostbite. Keep in mind, students are not expected to wait more than 15 minutes for their bus to arrive."

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