Portage County is under a wind chill advisory until 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon as meteorologists predict some of the coldest wind chills this winter.

A wind chill advisory is issued when forecasters predict extremely low wind chills, making it dangerous for people to go outside because exposed skin is susceptible to frostbite.

Temperatures Monday morning will be in the low teens and will drop throughout the day. By nightfall, temperatures are expected to drop below zero, with wind chills going as low as 30 degrees below zero.

The arctic temperatures will continue Tuesday.

 “Wind chills could very easily be 20 to 30 below zero Tuesday morning,” said Bruce Kalinowski, a part-time meteorologist for WKYC in Cleveland. “We’ll be lucky to hit a high temperature of zero on Tuesday.”

He said wind will contribute to the cold temperatures and low wind chills, with winds out of the west blowing at 25 to 30 miles per hour.

Kalinowski said temperatures, not snowfall, will be the biggest issue over the next few days.

“Snow’s not going to be a big issue at all,” he said. “What we saw this weekend is the most snow we’ll have all week. Blowing and drifting snow will cause problems.”

The University of Akron has canceled classes Monday and Tuesday because of the cold temperatures.

Eric Mansfield, University spokesman, said the decision to close campus is made by a team of people, including Gregg Floyd, senior vice president for finance and administration, and Tom Euclide, associate vice president for facilities planning and operations. The group consults with the Department of Public Safety and Facilities Planning and Operations, which is responsible for clearing campus sidewalks and parking lots.

“We don’t make our decisions based on what other schools are doing,” Mansfield said. “We do what’s best for the Kent State community.”

According to an email sent in November to Kent State students, faculty and staff, “the university does not close or cancel classes because of cold weather.”

Kalinowski said Tuesday is expected to be the coldest day, and by Thursday, temperatures will climb above skin-freezing temperatures, reaching the upper 20s and lower 30s, with temperatures staying in the 30s for the rest of the week.

Follow kentwired.com for the latest weather updates.

Contact Emily Mills at [email protected].