The Quad Cities felt more like the North Pole on Sunday, January 5, 2014.
An arctic outbreak pummeled the Midwest. Winds gusted at 30 mph and temperatures were expected to drop to 20 below zero. Those conditions resulted in schools to cancel classes for Monday.
Dr. Theron Schutte is the Superintendent of Bettendorf Community Schools and told News 8 there was more to the cancellation than just keeping students inside.
“We feel that we cannot – with 100 percent confidence – ensure that our buses could effectively run with those kind of temperatures,” Schutte said.
Schutte told News 8 when temperatures drop low enough, the diesel fuel in the buses will begin to gel.
In fact, diesel fuel can begin to gel at minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Those are temperatures that the Quad City Area will be flirting with early Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon.
That’s why parents like Janelle Kaps of Bettendorf are thankful that her children’s schools canceled.
“I wouldn’t let my kids wait at the bus stop in this weather,” said Kaps.
And luckily, she won’t have to.
Now that children in the Quad Cities are getting an extra day added to their winter break, they are planning to use their time wisely.
“I’m going to work on my snow fort,” said Lauren Ballard, a second grader at Paul Norton Elementary in Bettendorf.
Unfortunately, with wind chills expected to be near minus 50, her snow fort may have to be put on hold. Monday is likely to be anything but a snow day.