McHenry County weather: With wind chills of -35 degrees possible, many schools close or go remote Tuesday

While McHenry County drivers continue to navigate somewhat snowy and slick roads, and residents weather another day of -30 degree and colder wind chills, many local schoolchildren will not have to brave the elements Tuesday due to remote learning or cancellations.

In some cases, because closures from Friday’s snowstorm and Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the weather may give school districts a five-day weekend.

McHenry County will remain under a wind chill warning until noon Tuesday, at which point a wind chill advisory is set to take effect and last until 9 a.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service extended the wind chill warning for another 24 hours.

Wind chills are expected to be around -35 and -40 degrees Tuesday morning, said Todd Kluber, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. He added Monday morning’s wind chills were in that same range.

Kluber said air temperatures will rise tomorrow, allowing the wind chill warning to expire. However, the forecast high Tuesday in McHenry County will be a balmy -2.

“It’s not going to be much better,” Kluber said.

While many schools and other places were already closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the Crystal Lake Public Library announced on Facebook early Monday morning a burst pipe and resulting cleanup would require the library to be closed for the day and cancel all activities.

The library announced on Facebook Monday afternoon it would remain closed Tuesday due to “extensive damage” from the burst water pipe and directed patrons to its e-library page.

Also called off Tuesday due to weather was the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce’s ribbon cutting ceremony. The Chamber of Commerce said in a Monday email that the event would be rescheduled.

A Martin Luther King Jr. Day prayer breakfast due to take place Monday morning in Crystal Lake was also canceled because of the poor weather. It was to be the 14th annual event for FaithBridge, a Fox River Grove-based group that promotes interfaith cooperation.

The bone-chilling weather came after more than a foot of snow fell in the county from Friday to Sunday.

Though McHenry County facilities shut down Friday because of the snow, the county tweeted Monday that its offices will be open on Tuesday.

Ricky Castro, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said overnight temperatures are forecasted to be -15 to -18 degrees.

“It’ll be cold,” Castro said.

Castro added that if people don’t need to be outside they should “stay indoors as much as possible.”

With the frigid wind chills during the early morning hours and the air temperature staying below zero degrees, the following school districts are among those that have opted either to switch to remote learning or cancel classes altogether Tuesday:

• Johnsburg District 12: Closed.
• McHenry District 15: Closed; classes to resume Wednesday.
• Alden-Hebron District 19: Closed.
• Cary District 26: Closed.
• Harrison District 36: Closed.
• Prairie Grove District 46: Closed for an emergency day to be made up at the end of the school year.
• Crystal Lake Elementary District 47: Closed.
• Harvard District 50: Closed.
• Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155: Remote learning.
• McHenry County College: Online classes only Tuesday; in-person cla
• McHenry High School District 156: Remote learning.
• Huntley District 158: Remote learning.
• Marengo Union Elementary District 165: Closed.
• Woodstock District 200: Remote learning.
• Algonquin-based District 300: Closed.