Most of the NEIU campuses will be remote, including classes and certain departments, due to the cold front that will hit Chicago, Friday, January 23, and NEIU across all major campuses. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a significant excessive cold risk Thursday morning which includes Chicago and the Chicagoland area. The NWS warns that the wind chill may reach as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. This warning is issued due to this drop in temperature, frostbite can start in exposed areas within 10 minutes

Beni Ortiz, Vice President for Finance and Administration, sent a targeted announcement on Wednesday, regarding possible closure of the campus. This closure could persist until Saturday, January 24. 

 An updated targeted announcement from NEIU President Katrina Bell-Jordan announced that the majority of the campus will be remote for Friday, with a pending update regarding Saturday. N-Safe, NEIU’s emergency notification, also shared the information via text and email, with status as critical. 

How to Prepare 

To prepare for the cold ahead, here are some tips, according to National Weather Service and Accuweather:

Dress in several loose layers, if traveling. 

Slowly drip water from water pipes in apartments/homes to prevent freezing. 

Keep pets inside as much as possible.

Check in on elderly or people at increased risk of frostbite or hypothermia. 

Anyone who may need shelter can call 311 for locations of warming centers, wellness checks for those that are elderly, reporting heat problems in residential buildings, and more.

For additional warming centers, The Independent provided a table of locations within two to three miles of NEIU campuses.