DETROIT (AP) 鈥� The calendar says it's still spring, but for parts of the Great Lakes region, hot, summerlike temperatures already have arrived, forcing some schools to close or shift students to remote learning.
Detroit Public Schools Community District began closing its more than 100 schools three hours earlier Thursday and will do the same Friday as temperatures in the Motor City were expected to soar to near 90 both days.
Indoor afterschool activities also are canceled, according to the district.
Last June 1, Detroit鈥檚 high was a cooler 82 degrees. The city鈥檚 all-time high for the date was 97 degrees in 1934.
In western Michigan, Grand Rapids Public Schools canceled all classes and after-school activities Thursday and Friday due to the extreme heat. Temperatures in some school buildings Wednesday were too warm, Superintendent Leadriane Roby said in a message on the district's website.
鈥淭hat not only makes the learning environment a challenge, but it also raises a safety concern," Roby said.
Forty public schools in Pittsburgh with insufficient air conditioning went to remote learning Thursday and Friday under the district鈥檚 extreme heat protocol, with 鈥済rab and go鈥� meal service provided at 14 locations.
In Philadelphia, 90 of the district鈥檚 schools plan to dismiss students two hours early on Friday. Philadelphia is working to have all of its schools air-conditioned in the coming four years. Summer vacation is nearly two weeks away for city schools.
Some relief is coming, but that's still a few days away, according to Steven Freitag, a national weather service meteorologist.
鈥淚t's just a large stagnant pattern where we're controlled by the high-pressure ridge over the Great Lakes region and eastern Canada,鈥� Freitag said. 鈥淚t's kind of a dryer heat; nothing terribly unusual about it. And we haven't had much rain. The ground is dry as well. We're going to have a little colder air coming in next week.鈥�
Detroit, Columbus, Ohio, Pittsburgh and some other cities were expected to see highs near to just above 90 degrees through Saturday. Daily highs in Indianapolis could reach 90 or above through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Corey Williams, The Associated Press
