Campus Alert Archive
UIUC

First Cold-Weather Cancellation in Decades: Polar Vortex Closes UIUC With -35 Wind Chills

ILsevere stormadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

The January 2019 polar vortex brought wind chills as low as -35 degrees Fahrenheit to Champaign-Urbana, prompting the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to cancel classes for the first time due to extreme cold temperatures in decades. Classes at UIUC's Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield campuses were all canceled on Wednesday January 30, with a high temperature forecast of -8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Public R1 · IL
~56,303 studentsIllini-Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction668 chars
Due to the life-threatening cold forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 30, the University of Illinois is canceling all classes at its Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield campuses. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Warning through Thursday morning with wind chills expected to range from -25 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The high temperature in Champaign-Urbana tomorrow will be approximately -8 degrees. These are conditions that can cause frostbite to exposed skin in 10 minutes or less. Campus recreation centers and the libraries will remain open. Non-essential personnel are strongly encouraged to work remotely. Updates at massmail.illinois.edu.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

This was described as the first time UIUC canceled classes due to extreme cold temperatures in decades -- a threshold explicitly noted in news coverage
Wind chill warning language (-25 to -40) sourced from NWS; university translated the warning into a campus decision
System-wide closure affected all three UI System campuses simultaneously -- a coordinated decision uncommon for weather events
Reconstructed from WILL Illinois and CNBC secondary sources
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstruction237 chars
ILLINI-ALERT: UIUC CLOSED TODAY due to dangerous cold. Wind chills -25 to -40F. Exposed skin can freeze in 10 min. Libraries and recreation centers open. Essential services continue. Check massmail.illinois.edu for updates. Stay indoors.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Short-form SMS format with specific wind chill range and exposure time -- efficient translation of the longer email into 160-character-friendly language
Recreation centers and libraries kept open -- an equity consideration for students without comfortable housing options
Reconstructed from secondary sources
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction372 chars
Classes at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will resume on a delayed start schedule Thursday, January 31 at 10 a.m. The Wind Chill Warning remains in effect through early Thursday morning, but temperatures are moderating. Faculty are encouraged to be flexible with students who are unable to return to campus Thursday. Normal campus operations resume at 10 a.m.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Delayed start rather than second full-day closure reflects moderation of conditions by Thursday morning
Faculty flexibility guidance acknowledges students still facing dangerous commutes even as temperatures moderate
Reconstructed from secondary sources
Context

Background

The January 2019 polar vortex brought what meteorologists called a once-in-a-generation cold snap to the Upper Midwest, with the Chicago area recording wind chills as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign -- which had closed due to weather only a handful of times in the previous several decades, primarily for blizzards rather than cold alone -- canceled classes across all three of its campuses for the first time in memory due to extreme cold temperatures. The Champaign-Urbana area saw a high temperature of -8 degrees with wind chills ranging from -25 to -40. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker declared a disaster proclamation, and the State of Illinois closed all state agencies and offices. While classes were canceled, the university kept recreation centers and libraries open as warm refuge for students without access to heated transportation. The polar vortex affected roughly 30 million people across the Midwest and was responsible for at least 21 deaths nationally.
Analysis

Key Findings

UIUC canceled classes due to extreme cold for the first time in decades -- normally only blizzards prompt closures
All three University of Illinois System campuses (Urbana, Chicago, Springfield) closed simultaneously
Wind chill of -35 and projected high of -8 degrees Fahrenheit were the triggering conditions
Libraries and recreation centers remained open as a deliberate equity measure for students lacking warm housing alternatives
Outcome
Classes canceled Wednesday January 30 through Thursday January 31 at Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield campuses. Many buildings remained open. No casualties.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Arctic Air Mass Shuts Down Much Of Central, Northern Illinois -- Illinois Public Media (WILL)
    will.illinois.edu
  2. News
    Weather Closings Extended as Polar Vortex Chills Champaign-Urbana -- ChambanaMoms
    chambanamoms.com
  3. News
    Midwest universities canceling classes due to the polar vortex -- CNBC
    cnbc.com
  4. News
    Colleges and students respond to polar vortex -- Inside Higher Ed
    insidehighered.com
Tags
polar-vortexextreme-coldwinter-stormillinoischampaign-urbanawind-chilladvisorypublic-r1system-wide-closure
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion