West Plains schools, including the R-7 district and surrounding rural K-8 schools and Head Start programs, will not be in session Thursday officials announced. His Place Christian Academy in West Plains has also announced it will be closed Thursday.
West Plains Middle School Principal Joby Steele noted that the talent show that was scheduled for Thursday evening has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
Email news@westplainsdailyquill.net to announce a business or school closure.
As of Wednesday evening, the Quill plans to open the office with limited staff. Watch @west.plains.daily.quill on Facebook for updates.
As of 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, other area schools announcing cancellations: Alton, Ava and Ava Head Start, Cabool and Cabool Head Start, Cotter (Ark.), Couch, Dora, Eminence, Gainesville and Gainesville Head Start, Houston and Houston Head Start, Koala Bear Daycare and Learning Center in Ava and Gainesville, Koshkonong, Licking and Licking Head Start, Lutie, Mammoth Spring (Ark.), Mtn. Grove and Mtn. Grove Head Start, Mtn. Home (Ark.), Mtn. View-Birch Tree Liberty and Mtn. View Head Start, Norwood, Ozark Horizon State School in West Plains, Plainview School in Ava, Salem (Ark.), Shannon County Head Start in Eminence, Skyline School in Norwood, Skyview State School in Mtn. Grove, Summersville, Thayer, Thornfield, Viola (Ark.), Willow Springs and Willow Springs Head Start, and Winona.
Of these schools, Ava, Cabool, Mtn. Grove, Mtn. View-Birch Tree are using alternative methods of instruction.
Willow Springs Excel Program will be open, however, no transportation will be provided.
Missouri State University will open campus offices late at 10 a.m.; classes will be held remotely. Students should check university emails for details and instructions.
Southwest Baptist University-Man. View will hold classes via virtual learning, and Texas County Technical College in Houston will be closed.
A cold weather advisory is in effect for the region until midnight, at which point it becomes an extreme cold warning until noon Thursday.
With the advisory, very cold wind chills reaching as low as 13 below zero are expected; under the warning, those wind chills are expected to be as low as 22 degrees below zero.
National Weather Service officials in Springfield warn that a -20 degree windchill can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Dress in layers, including a hat, face mask and gloves, if going outside.
