EAST LONGMEADOW, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Bitter cold temperatures kept elementary students indoors Tuesday as schools canceled outdoor recess across the district.

Mountain View School, one of three elementary schools in East Longmeadow and one of two that teaches grades three through five, kept students inside. Principal Elaine Santaniello said district policy states kids cannot be outside for recess if temperatures are 20 degrees or below. The ‘real feel’ temperature was also below 20 degrees and remained that way throughout the day, leading to the decision to keep students indoors.

Parents said they took extra precautions to ensure their children were properly dressed for the frigid conditions. Jeffrey Panting, whose son is a third grader at Mountain View, said he felt the frigid temperatures this morning and double-checked that his son was dressed for the weather. “He (my son) tends to run hot, as in body temperature, and he will underestimate the ambient temperature, so I’ll always have to be reminding him to bundle up, make sure his hat’s on, his gloves are on and not stay out too long,” he explained.

Panting also said the school performed good communication to keep students safe. He said he will make sure his son is physically active indoors while the frigid weather continues.

The school district will keep its eyes on temperatures for the rest of the week to determine if students will be inside all day or spend some time outdoors.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.