photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

City of Lawrence crews were clearing piles of snow from downtown on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.

Lawrence public schools will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and activities canceled due to cold weather and the remnants of this weekend’s major winter storm.

District officials announced the closure on Monday afternoon, saying that they were appreciative of all efforts to clear streets and sidewalks leading to the schools, however, district officials believe weather conditions will still be too dangerous to resume classes.

“The safety of our students, staff, and families is always our top priority,” district spokeswoman Julie Boyle said via email. “These extreme weather conditions cause safety risks for travel to school and for outdoor exposure.”

All school activities, including athletic events, are canceled, and all district buildings will be closed for the day. Only district staff with weather-related or time-sensitive responsibilities are required to report to work.

“We understand school closures cause hardships for some members of our community,” Boyle said via email. “It is our plan to return to school as soon as conditions enable us to do so safely.”

Temperatures on Tuesday morning are expected to be about zero degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chills near 10 below zero. The high on Tuesday is expected to be less than 20 degrees, according to multiple forecasts.

Meanwhile, the City of Lawrence said late Monday afternoon that it plans to reopen all of its facilities on Tuesday. That includes the city’s public transit system, although the city said users should expect some delays and rerouting of buses. The city said Parks and Recreation facilities also will be open, but all classes and programming for the centers will be cancelled. The centers will be open as public spaces for residents to get out of the cold or use the center’s gyms and equipment.

LMH Health also announced Monday afternoon that all of its clinics and doctors offices would reopen on Tuesday. Most of LMH Health’s facilities outside of the main hospital were closed on Monday. A spokeswoman said all outpatient services would resume on Tuesday, with the exception of cardiac rehab and palliative care.

Other organizations that have cancelled or altered schedules include:

• University of Kansas’ Lawrence, Edwards and Leavenworth campuses will be closed. Only employees designated as weather essential are to report to campus.

• Baldwin public schools will be closed for the day. The home basketball games scheduled for Tuesday have been moved to Wednesday.

• Eudora public schools will be closed for the day;

• Tonganoxie public schools will be closed for the day;

• Perry-Lecompton schools have cancelled classes and activities;

• Bishop Seabury Academy has cancelled all classes and activities;

• All state offices in Shawnee County are closed for the day;