By HANNA MORDOH
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Dangerous wind chill values hit central Indiana on Wednesday morning. Nearly 100 schools delayed or went to virtual learning due to the cold weather.
Click here to view a list of closings and delays.
Most school districts in Indiana said they factor in the wind chill when making their decision and don’t allow students to stand outside if the “feels like” temperature is -19 degrees. Many school districts follow guidance from the National Weather Service wind chill chart. It breaks down when frostbite will happen after a certain amount of time outside.
Graphic provided
Beech Grove officials said if the wind chill is -19 degrees or below at 7 a.m., they delay school for two hours. If it’s expected to be that cold at 9 a.m. they consider closing.
Carmel Clay Schools has a similar delay and closure procedure. Hamilton Southeastern Schools also follows the wind chill rule of -19 degrees, especially since elementary kids get on the buses first, at around 6:30 a.m.
“As a school district, what we pay attention to is the length of time our students are at those bus stops,” said Zach McKinney, the Director of Transportation for HSE Schools. “When that wind chill is a factor. What the National Weather Service says is a factor as they are standing at the bus stop. What is too long and when does that wind chill really start to impact frostbite opportunity.”
Hamilton Southeastern Schools said in general if it’s below 10 degrees outside, there is a team that comes in early to start the buses to be sure they’re warm inside when the kids get on.