Extreme Cold Forces Schools To Delay Opening On Tuesday

PEABODY (CBS) -- The extreme cold on Tuesday morning forced several school districts north and west of Boston to either close or push back start times.

"Yesterday in the afternoon they called and said there would be a two-hour delay because it's wicked cold out and it's dangerous and icy," said Niki Nikolouzos, a freshman at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School.

Typically, the opening bell at the high school rings at 7:10 a.m. Without a delay, students would've been waiting for the bus in the dark, braving wind chills of -10 degrees.

In Peabody overnight, crews sanded the sidewalks and parking lots leading up to eight elementary schools, Higgins Middle School and Veterans Memorial High School.

The high school's Spanish teacher told WBZ-TV he'll likely move his class to the library; a space that's warmer than his classroom.

"Unfortunately I have one of the coldest rooms in the school, through no fault of the administration. They've done everything they can to heat it up," said Russ Mann. "But it's just the location of the room, it's on the third floor and there's nothing underneath me and the heat just doesn't work in that room."

The Superintendent of Peabody Schools says they're already planning ahead to Thursday. Forecasters are looking at the possibility of 4"-8" of snow, before another shot even colder arctic air grips New England once again.

Quabbin Regional and Concord-Carlisle school districts also had a two-hour delay. Everett schools were closed.