Western Illinois University was scheduled to begin its spring semester on Tuesday next week. But the forecast of wintery weather and frigid temperatures has changed that.
President Guiyou Huang said classes will now begin on Wednesday.
In an email to the campus community. Huang says this will allow safe travel times for students returning to Western.
The delay affects the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses as well as online classes.
Huang said residence halls will be opened as scheduled, and further updates will be posted to the university’s website.
For students returning to Macomb on Sunday, Jan. 14, Go West buses will be operating the a.m and p.m. Amtrak routes.
The forecast
The National Weather Service predicts a powerful winter storm will impact the area through Saturday morning. The agency issued a blizzard warning for portions of the region for Friday night and Saturday, and blowing snow is expected throughout the region Friday night and Saturday.
Temperatures are expected to drop dramatically. The weather service calls for daytime highs in the low single digits on Monday and Tuesday and low temperatures of -12 on Sunday and Monday nights. Dangerous wind chills are possible from Saturday night through midday Tuesday.
The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 20s on Wednesday.
School announcements
- Carl Sandburg College will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- The Western Illinois University Macomb and Quad Cities campuses will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- Illini West High School will have an e-learning day Friday, Jan. 12.
- LaHarpe School District will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- West Prairie School District will have an e-learning day Friday, Jan. 12.
- Macomb School District will have an e-learning day Friday, Jan. 12. K-12 students will meet via Microsoft Teams at a specific time and attendance will be taken. Information can be found on the E-Learning page of the district website. Pre-K teachers will email parents at 9 a.m. with activities students can complete at home.
- VIT Community Unit School District will have an e-learning day Friday, Jan. 12.
- All Southeastern Community College sites will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- Galesburg District 205 will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- Monmouth-Roseville District 238 will have an e-learning day Friday, Jan. 12.
- Keokuk Christian Academy will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- West Burlington School District will be closed Friday, Jan.12, This day is a snow day and not an NTI day.
- Fort Madison Community School District will be closed on Friday, Jan. 12.
- Burlington Community School District and childcare will be closed on Friday, Jan. 12.
- Keokuk Public and Catholic Schools will be closed on Friday, Jan. 12.
- Dallas City Elementary School District will have an e-learning day Friday, Jan. 12, and all evening activities are canceled.
- The La Harpe School District will dismiss students at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12. All of Friday’s evening activities have been canceled.
Municipal announcements
- The Warren County courthouse will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- City of Galesburg Transit is suspending services Friday, Jan. 12.
- Monmouth city hall will be closed Friday, Jan. 12. If you have an emergency and need assistance please call Public Safety at (309)734-8383.
- The Knox County Courthouse will be closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- Macomb has declared a snow emergency from 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11 until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13. On-street parking is prohibited on streets designated as snow routes.
- A snow emergency for the City of Galesburg will go into effect at 6 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12. Citizens are reminded that a parking prohibition will take effect on all Galesburg city streets during the snow emergency. Vehicles parked on city streets (except in the central business district) during this time will be subject to ticketing and towing. The parking prohibition will remain in effect until all streets are cleared.
- Monmouth has a snow emergency in effect from midnight Thursday through 6 a.m. Saturday. Any vehicles parked on a snow emergency route need to be moved. This will help facilitate snow plowing and removal.
Other announcements
- The McDonough County YMCA Senior Center is closed Friday, Jan. 12. and there will be no meal delivery for Macomb or Bushnell.
- The Warren County Public Library District is closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- Milestones Area Agency on Aging meal sites are closed and will not have meal deliveries Friday, Jan. 12.
- The Burlington Public Library will be closed Friday, Jan. 12. The virtual library is always open and can be accessed through our website or the Libby and Hoopla apps.
- The Galesburg Public Library is closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- FISH of Galesburg food pantry is closed Friday, Jan. 12.
- The Western Illinois Regional Council & Community Action Agency will be closed Friday, Jan. 12. The offices will also be closed Monday, Jan. 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Any appointments scheduled on closure days will be rescheduled.
- Pilot Grove Savings Bank will close all of its branches at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12.
Church Announcements
- The Episcopal Church on University Drive in Macomb will not hold church on Sunday, Jan. 14 due to expected extreme cold.
- There will be no in-person worship, Sunday, Jan. 14 at St. John UCC in Ft. Madison. Join us on Facebook at 9 a.m. Sunday.
Warming Shelters
Ongoing
- Overnight Winter Shelter - 525/527 Iowa Court, Galesburg (open daily, 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.)
- Galesburg Public Safety Building Lobby: 150 S. Broad St., Galesburg (open 24 hours)
January 12 - 16
- East Galesburg Fire Station: 411 S. State St., East Galesburg
- Wataga Fire Station: 310 W. Willard St., Wataga
- Oneida Fire Station: 210 N. Sage St., Oneida
- YMCA Lobby: 1324 W Carl Sandburg Drive, Galesburg. 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
