(Baltimore, MD) -- This year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade is being canceled because of Monday's freezing temperatures.
The city arts council made the announcement Saturday morning, and said they were "truly disappointed" to cancel the parade, but that they agree with the mayor's office that "public safety must be our top priority."
Mayor Brandon Scott said it was a difficult decision made out of "an abundance of caution for the safety of our participants and spectators."
Baltimore, with the severe winter weather forecasted for this weekend, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year's MLK Day parade out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our participants and spectators. Thank you for your understanding and support. pic.twitter.com/S6DugZR2mt
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) January 18, 2025
Forecasters say a "polar vortex" moving into the region will plunge temperatures into the single digits on King Day.
24/7 News Source contributed to this report.