A frigid forecast has many East Tennessee schools deciding to delay the start of Tuesday’s classes.

Overnight temps fell to the lowest of the winter season thus far.  Crossville was at 5 degrees at 6am.

More than 20 counties decided to delay school start times.

When you get temperatures and wind chills that cold, then prolonged exposure to that cold temperature can lead to frost bite or even hypothermia in some cases. Even the one- to two-hour school delay can make a big difference and allow outside temps to rise as much as 10 degrees.

But delays don’t just help students – school leaders say it also helps parents have extra time to dress their children properly and buses more daylight time to get ready.

Also, many school buildings are on a heating schedule and need time to warm up after long weekends.

Here is a list of Schools in our area on a 2 hr delay this morning

BLEDSOE
MONROE
MORGAN
ONEIDA
SCOTT
SWEETWATER