Paula Porter/Daily Mining Gazette Snow hangs heavy on tree branches in Calumet Friday morning. Snow, high winds and bitter temperatures forced the closure of schools, colleges, and offices throughout the area. Many Heikinpäivä events scheduled for today will not take place because of the weather.

HANCOCK — Biting cold, wind chills in excess of 25 below and snow, disrupted life in the Copper Country Friday. All schools were closed, as were Michigan Tech, Gogebic College and KBIC Ojibwa Community College. Additionally, several government offices, non-profits and local business halted operations for the day.

Perhaps the most significant impact the weather had was on the annual Heikinpäivä celebration in Hancock. Just hours after announcing the popular Polar Plunge would still take place in the Portage Canal as planned today, organizers declared the event would not take place.

In a statement released shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday, Jesse Wiederhold, managing director of Visit Keweenaw, issued the following statement: “After reviewing the latest weather forecasts, Visit Keweenaw, City of Hancock, Takka Saunas, and Small Craft have made the decision to postpone this weekend’s Polar Plunge.”

Wiederhold said the plunge will not take place during Heikinpäivä and has been moved to Feb. 7. “With temperatures currently trending closer to the 20s and 30s that weekend, the new date will allow for a safer and more enjoyable experience. Moving the plunge to Winter Carnival weekend also gives attendees another fun way to take in the area’s winter wonders.

Earlier, when announcing the event would go on, Wiederhold said precautions had been made to ensure the safety of participants despite the bitter cold. “We understand the biggest challenge is going to be getting people right into the warm-up,” but we will be able to do that,” Wiederhold said. “It would about a 30-60-second walk to the saunas, so as people are out of the water – and we will be there to help folks in and out – they will be able to warm up immediately after.”

Wiederhold said the postponement decision was not made lightly. “Our core partners have worked closely with medical and meteorological experts over the past two weeks to closely monitor conditions. With temperatures expected to dip well below zero and wind chills approaching -40°F Saturday morning, safety had to remain the top priority.”

About three hours after declaring most other Heikinpäivä activities would still go on as scheduled, Wiederhold issued another statement, this time reissued from Jim Kurtti, of Copper Country Finns and Friends. Kurtti announced the cancellation of several Heikinpäivä events including the big parade. “The officers of CCF&F met via Zoom this evening regarding the weather conditions, which aren’t going to let up until late Saturday morning, Kurtti wrote. “Some of us have been receiving calls and cancellations from concerned folks. And, weighing in the fact that the area schools, including MTU are closed on Friday, we have concluded it is prudent to cancel the following outdoor events:

Kurtti said in addition to the parade scheduled to go down Quincy Street in downtown Hancock, the outdoor games, including the kicksleds and wife-carrying and the Bear Spiral were all cancelled for this year.

Kurtti said in addition to the Polar Plunge, Club Finndigo at the Calumet Theater, scheduled for last night, will be rescheduled and the Snowshoe event at Haasto Hiihto has been canceled.

However, despite the weather, Kurtti said other events will go on as planned:

• Snow Sculpting Invitational today and tomorrow on Quincy Green

• The two tori markets – Finnish American Heritage Center & the United Methodist Church

• The lectures “The Magic of Sauna Textiles” with Lisa Steinmann and Karen Rue, and “Finno-Ugric World Tour”

• Animal Life: Art from the Kalevala (Community Art Center)

• Iltamat (evening of dance and light buffet) — Finnish American Heritage Center

• Sauna Stories (oral histories) – 25-30 Jan.

• Sauna Week Tours – 31 Jan (Sat.) – 10am – 3pm. Tickets available at North Wind Books.

“Whether there will be an event marking the passing of the Tsirk, the wooden bird symbolizing Finno-Ugrians at Heikinpäivä is to be determined” Kurtti said. adding that Pavel Ivlov, the representative from Narva, Estonia has also cancelled his trip since he would be flying from New Jersey.

Although it will warm up a little bit, the bitter cold will last until early next week with daytime temperatures in the single digits to low teens.