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Anoka-Hennepin School District closes schools other area districts move to online instruction
While it is currently clear and cold on Tuesday morning, the US National Weather service has issued a winter storm warning that could bring snowfalls that could amount one of the top five in Minnesota history in the Twin Cities metro area.
The storm remains on track to impact the region Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, the weather agency posted on Facebook on Monday, Feb. 20 The heaviest snow and blizzard conditions are expected Wednesday afternoon through Thursday.
The U.S. Weather Service predicts that snow "will come in two waves:
Moderate to heavy snow begins Tuesday afternoon & ends Wednesday morning. A relative lull in the snow is expected during the day Wednesday.
The heaviest snow and blizzard conditions develop late Wednesday afternoon and continue through Thursday. A foot of snow is almost guaranteed area-wide from both waves by the time snow ends Thursday."
Snowfall amounts one to two feet are possible and are most likely to occur from central Minnesota into west-central Wisconsin where the heaviest snow from both waves is forecast to occur.
"Significant travel impacts are expected Tuesday afternoon through Thursday.
There will be a few hours on Wednesday to clear snow and possibly get around, before the heaviest snow and significant impacts begin Wednesday afternoon through Thursday" The US Weather Service posted.
Anoka-Hennepin Schools canceled
The Anoka-Hennepin School District posted on its website on Feb. 21 that school and all after-school activities will be cancelled on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.
"School or district-sponsored after-school and evening activities, including facility rentals, will also be canceled, even if the weather improves later in the day.
School is expected to resume on Friday, Feb. 24.
For answers to frequently asked questions on winter weather and school closures, visit ahschools.us/weather.
Centennial School District moves to e-learning
The Centennial School District announced on Feb. 21 that school will move to "flexible learning days" format on Wednesday and Thursday with all school buildings closed.
For more information about the district's flexible learning days, visit: https://www.isd12.org/parents/flexible-learning-days.
A decision has yet to be made about the school's operations on Friday.
Columbia Heights School District education goes online
Columbia Heights School District will be holding e-learning days on Wednesday and Thursday, the district posted on its website on Tuesday afternoon.
"Students will receive more information from their school and teachers about their learning schedule," the district posted.
After-school activities and athletics for Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled; however, activities and athletics for today, Tuesday, Feb. 21 are running as planned.
"Please stay safe and dress warmly in this winter weather!" the district's statement concludes.
Fridley Schools shifts to remote instruction
All Fridley Schools will be on an e-learning schedule for Wednesday and Thursday.
On Tuesday afternoon students were sent home with Google Chromebook and all necessary material for online instruction, the district posted on its website. The district plans to provide detailed information from your student’s school about accessing e-learning activities.
"Please use caution when traveling on roads and stay tuned to local forecasts for the latest weather conditions," the Fridley Schools post concludes. "We will communicate with staff and families throughout the weather event as we look towards reopening on Friday."
SLP Schools moves to flexible learning
All learners in the Spring Lake Park School District will have flexible learning days on Wednesday and Thursday, the district posted on its website on Tuesday afternoon.
"Teachers will communicate with students and families through Seesaw, Schoology and/or voicemail by 10 a.m. each morning with learning plans for the day," SLP Schools district post states.
Spring Lake Park School building, child care and early childhood programs will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
As for after school activities and athletic practices, a decision has not yet been reached, visit SpringLakeParkSchools.org on Thursday for that information (ABC Newspaper will also update this story when a decision is announced.)
PACT Charter School
PACT Charter School canceled school and all events on Wednesday and Thursday. Also, a hiring event schedule for Friday, Feb. 21 from 5-7 p.m. was cancelled because of the weather.
City of Anoka
The city of Anoka’s Public Services Department is preparing crews for multiple days of plowing, the city posted on Facebook on Tuesday morning with crews planning to start plowing at 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, Feb. 22, for the first round.
"Staff will continue to monitor and will adapt to the needs of plowing, which is expected to occur throughout the weekend," the city posted. "Major roadways will take priority and we will get to sidewalks and the (Central Business District) as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience."
The city offered these reminder for city residents:
- No parking on city streets between 2-6 a.m.
- Clearing snow away from fire hydrants near your home.
- Prevent children from building snow forts at the end of the driveway.
- Place garbage and recycling carts behind the curb or in your driveway on your service day and not in the street.
Ramsey
The city of Ramsey posted an update on Tuesday morning that called the storm: "Snowmageddon"
The city posted that its tentative plan for keeping streets clear is to have plows start working at 2 a.m. start Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with three three dedicated plows and will add more as needed.
"This plan will be revised as the storm progresses and more information is available about how it will track and new estimates on snow totals," The city posted on Facebook. "If the storm is as bad as forecast, it is imperative that vehicles are not parked on any city streets for the efficiency and safety of our drivers.
Ramsey's city ordinance states that on-street parking is prohibited year-round from 2-6 a.m. Vehicles in violation may be cited or towed at the owner's expense.
Snowplow activity information can be obtained by calling Ramsey's Snowplow Information Line at 763-433-9852.
Ramsey's snow clean-up is scheduled for Friday.
St. Francis
St. Francis Area Schools moved to e-learning days on Wednesday and Thursday and all school activities are canceled on those days as well, the district posted on its website.
However, "due to upcoming wrestling sectionals, an exception for practices may be permitted at the discretion of the coaching staff and activities director."
KidsConnection, Early Childhood and all facility rentals will also be closed for the next two dats
County
The Anoka County Sheriff's Office posted an update on Tuesday morning urging residents to take caution.
"As we experience another snowstorm before spring arrives, please make safe and smart choices when you're on the road," ACSO posted. "If possible, stay home when the roads are at their worst, and be patient with our state, county, and city plowing partners who will be working hard this week!"
Power outages
XCel Energy issued a press release that shared some snowstorm safety tips, warning that power outages are not uncommon during such storms. They promise additional crews will be working to quickly repair any potential outages in the coming days.
In the meantime, XCel encourages citizens to limit their power usage and stress on the grid by lowering their thermostats to 68, lowering the temperature further when asleep, keeping interior doors open for circulation and running fans counter clockwise to push warm air down.
Outages or downed power lines be reported immediately to Xcel's residential service number at 1-800-895-1999.
ABC Newspapers will update this story as snow moves in and we will keep you informed of any other event or school closures impacted by this storm.
SOURCE: Hometown Source
