As Minnesota braces for wind chills of -45 degrees, a decision looms on whether to close schools statewide, a rare move not seen since the 2019 polar vortex.

ST PAUL, Minn. — As temperatures plunge, families often ask the same question: how cold is cold enough to cancel school? The answer isn’t as simple as it varies from one school district to the next.

However, with wind chills expected to drop as low as -45 degrees by the end of the week, the governor may shut down schools across the state.

It is rare for a governor to close all public schools statewide. 

During a historic polar vortex on Jan. 27–31, 2019, then‑Governor Mark Dayton used emergency authority to close all Minnesota public schools statewide for multiple days due to life‑threatening cold, according to the MN DNR. 

Wind chills reached –50 F to –60 F, among the most extreme conditions Minnesota had seen in decades. 

Schools across the Twin Cities and outstate were closed for up to four consecutive days, and some districts transitioned to online classes. 

The -28 F air temperature in the Twin Cities on Jan. 30, 2019, was the lowest ambient air temperature in the Twin Cities since -32 F on February 2, 1996, according to state officials.

Typically, schools in Minnesota close when the windchills get to -35 F.

Last year, many school districts closed schools due to bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills. 

On Jan. 20-21, 2025, dozens of Minnesota school districts canceled classes, delayed starts, or moved to e‑learning because wind chills plunged to –35 F to –45 F. 

School districts, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Anoka‑Hennepin, Duluth, Rochester, and others, fully canceled in‑person classes due to extreme cold temperatures.

The mid-1990s saw a nasty stretch of winters with Governor Arne Carlson calling off school in 1994, 1996 and 1997. 

In fact, the day in 1996, Feb. 2, remains the coldest in state history with the all-time low temperature of –60 F in Tower, Minnesota.