IU’s Wednesday classes are canceled because of severe winter weather, according to university officials. Campus will remain open.
The decision to cancel was announced around 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The last time IU closed was during the 2014 “Polar Vortex.” Extreme weather was responsible for eight of the 12 campus closures, according to information from the IU Archives.
University spokesperson Chuck Carney said while Wednesday is still a workday for staff, employees are expected to use their best judgement on whether they can get to work safely.
Carney said officials waited until 5 p.m. to call it because they wanted to be informed on the latest weather forecast.
Of IU’s nine campuses, only IU Southeast has not cancelled Wednesday classes. All Monroe County government offices will also be closed.
Though a petition was created by students Monday night to cancel classes, Carney said officials must base their decision to cancel on university guidelines.
The petition has reached nearly 28,000 signatures.
The National Weather Service announced multiple temperature-related warnings this week for central Indiana and much of the Midwest.
A wind chill warning was issued from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 1 p.m. Thursday for Bloomington. Wind chills as low as 33 below zero are expected, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures that low can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Bloomington will reach its coldest temperatures around 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The service also released a warning saying driving Tuesday evening could be hazardous. Scattered snow and strong wind could drastically reduce visibility over short distances, it read.
This story has been updated.
