Extreme cold air grips Northeast
A mass of arctic air swept into the Northeast on Tuesday, bringing bone-chilling subzero temperatures and closing schools across the region for the second time in less than a week.
High temperatures were not expected to make it out of the teens and 20s in most spots, with single digits in many areas, especially northern New England, according to the National Weather Service. But things felt even worse because of the wind, which made it feel below zero for many.
Schools in Massachusetts’ three largest cities — Boston, Worcester and Springfield — canceled classes, saying they did not want children standing outside for extended periods of time waiting for buses.
“There has been an increase of covid with transportation personnel, which would result in buses running up to 30 minutes late,” according to a tweet from the Worcester public schools. “The safety of our students and staff are always the focus of our decisions.”
Low temperatures can result in frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
For parents who had to work, the YMCA of Central Massachusetts provided a safe, warm place for their children.
“Anytime there’s school closures we open up our all-day programming so that parents can still continue to work and have the children at our location,” President and CEO David Connell said.
Syracuse, New York, Manchester, New Hampshire, and Burlington, Vermont, were among communities that also closed public schools. The closures came just a few days after many school closed because of snow Friday.
Some COVID-19 testing sites in New Hampshire and Massachusetts closed in response to the cold, and warming centers opened across the region for people who needed temporary shelter from the bitter temperatures. Rhode Island opened warming centers across the state and in Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu reminded residents that the city’s network of public libraries were open for people looking for a place to warm up.