Northeast Ohio schools, business close down for the cold

Candace Monacelli

Record low temperatures close KSU main campus from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

Local schools, businesses and government buildings closed Thursday due to inclement weather, and Kent State was one of the last public institutions to close its main and regional campuses.

Kent State’s main campus is closed until Saturday morning, but students, faculty and staff still had normal schedules Thursday after a morning delay of classes. The late cancellation and early class delay Thursday had students taking to social media to express their concerns.

“We don’t close for cold,” said Eric Mansfield, Kent State’s spokesman. “Ultimately you’re an adult. If you don’t feel like you can get to class safely or you feel like you’re in danger, make the best decision for you.”

Jeff Tanchak, chief meteorologist at 19 Action News in Cleveland, said once the clouds clear, Northeast Ohio will have the coldest Friday morning in years.

“Temperatures are gonna drop like a rock,” Tanchak said. “We’re looking at similar numbers that we dealt with on Monday morning when we were in that 10 to 20 below zero range. We’re gonna shatter the low all across the board.”

Tanchak also said students can get frostbite within 15 minutes walking across campus and not know it. He advises students to not take the winter weather warnings lightly.

Students are encouraged to call 330-672-2345 if they find any problem area on campus.