Photo by Mike Lamb The digital sign at Main and Third streets lets motorists know how cold it really is in Marshall late Tuesday afternoon.

MARSHALL — When it’s too cold to deliver the mail, you know things are serious.

The U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday that delivery operations are being suspended today in areas affected by extreme cold and deteriorating weather conditions. There will be no postal delivery today in Minnesota, Iowa, western Wisconsin and western Illinois, the USPS said. Retail operations at local post offices will still be available, but may be limited.

The delivery suspension comes as temperatures plunge below zero in the region, with wind chills as low as 60 degrees below zero expected today.

“The cold air is definitely here,” said meteorologist Andrew Kalin, of the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls. On Tuesday afternoon, wind chills of 41 degrees below zero were reported in Marshall. Kalin said even more extreme wind chills, of around 60 below, were reported Tuesday in northwest Minnesota. That cold air would continue to move south into our area, he said.

A wind chill warning remains in effect in the region until 9 a.m. Thursday. Kalin said wind chills will start to become less severe around Thursday, and could get back into the single digits later this week.

Kalin said the NWS doesn’t keep records for wind chill values. However, the NWS said forecast temperatures in the region, of 25 to 31 degrees below zero, would be some of the coldest on record for Jan. 30. Wind chills would make those temperatures seem even colder.

Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management said the state would be entering the most dangerous part of a polar vortex on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. A post on Minnesota HSEM’s Facebook page said the cold was “dangerous and deadly.” Wind chills as cold as the ones projected for Minnesota could cause frostbite in as little as five minutes. HSEM advised people not to go outside unless it’s absolutely necessary. If people do go outside, they should dress in layers, and wear warm outer clothing including hats, boots, gloves and a face mask as well as a coat.

The Postal Service was far from alone in preparing for dangerously cold conditions on Wednesday. Area schools canceled class today, and some local businesses and public services announced that they would be closing early on Tuesday, opening late or just closing their doors altogether today. Community Transit of United Community Action Partnership said it will be shutting down all transit service today, and will reopen at 8 a.m. Thursday. Rides are planned to start again at 9 a.m. Thursday.

“In this kind of weather, any kind of emergency could be life threatening for our passengers and our drivers if they had to wait for help to arrive,” said Community Transit Operations Manager Nick Leske. “With such extreme cold, we really have to be incredibly careful.”

UCAP said its offices will also be closed today, as well as the Kitchen Table Food Shelf in Marshall. However, UCAP Family Services Director Angela Larson said people needing help with emergency shelter can still contact UCAP online at unitedcapmn.org, or by calling (507) 537-1416.

UCAP operates the Refuge emergency shelter program in the Marshall area. Larson said the program leases rooms from a local motel, and provides shelter and services to people who are homeless or in need of emergency shelter. Larson said UCAP tries to help people move into permanent housing as quickly as possible because the rooms are full a lot of the time.

“Since we aren’t able to serve everyone who requests assistance, we prioritize families with children and other vulnerable populations, like people with disabilities,” she said.

Among the area organizations and services also closing today due to extreme cold are the Marshall-Lyon County Library and the Minneota Public Library, and the Social Security office in Marshall. There will be no Marshall Senior Dining or Meals on Wheels delivery today.