Illinois braces for brutal cold, schools, courts closing

CHICAGO (AP) - The frigid weather moving across Illinois is prompting officials around the state to prepare for its impact.

The University of Chicago, DePaul and Northwestern Universities will close their campuses from Tuesday until Thursday morning.

Chicago Public Schools announced that Wednesday's classes have been canceled.

In central Illinois, some school districts, like McLean County Unit 5 will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Illinois State University in Normal announced Monday it will close at 11 p.m. Tuesday and won't reopen until 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

The cold will curtail Amtrak operations. Some scheduled trains between Chicago and St. Louis, Carbondale, Milwaukee and Detroit have been canceled.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois will be closed Wednesday.

Temperatures began their plunge Monday, with forecasters expecting wind chills to fall to negative 55 degrees (negative 48 degrees Celsius) in northern Illinois later this week.