As wind chills plummet below zero, officials undeterred: 'It's winter' in Western Pa.

Burrell Superintendent Shannon Wagner makes a flurry of decisions before 5:30 each morning, especially this time of year.

On Monday, when temperatures are expected to nosedive below zero for the first time since 2022, Wagner will be up at 4:45 a.m. to review road conditions with Upper Burrell and Lower Burrell road crews, the Roenigk school bus garage and PennDOT, if necessary.

But, she said, it comes with the job in Western Pennsylvania.

“It’s winter,” Wagner said. “We’re always prepared for cold temperatures.”

She joins a slew of school, business, municipal and county officials who pivot to keep their towns safe.

The region has seen its share of frigid weather this season.

The average low from Dec. 1 to Jan. 14 was 25.8 degrees — the coldest on record since 2017-18 — when the average low was 19.1 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Moon Township.

Meteorologist Mike Kennedy expects temperatures to plummet after the weekend, when highs could climb to 40 degrees.

“We are forecasting minus 4 for Tuesday morning,” Kennedy said.

The last time the temperature dipped that low was Jan. 27, 2022, at minus 6.

“With the wind, it will feel like minus 15,” Kennedy said. “There’s no getting around it: it’s going to be cold. But it won’t last a sustained amount of time.”

WTAE meteorologist Brian Hutton said temperatures Monday and Tuesday could remain in the single digits all day. Lows Tuesday morning will start below zero.

Wind chills could get as cold as minus 30 in the morning in the Laurel Highlands, Hutton said.

‘Zero’ means school delay

Greensburg Salem Superintendent Kenneth Bissell says the district makes a distinction between bitterly cold weather days and “winter weather” days — snow and ice.

“We will delay school for cold temperatures when the air temperature is zero degrees, or when the wind chill is negative-10 degrees or below,” Bissell wrote in a statement.

“This is different from winter weather (snow/ice) events. Those events are a collaborative effort with our local municipality road crews, our bus company and updated provided to us by the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit from the National Weather Service.

“There is also a collaborative effort with other local superintendents to understand what is happening in the region.”

How Norwin responds

Like Bissell, Norwin Superintendent Natalie McCracken sometimes consults with other district officials before dawn to make a final decision on school delays and closings.

Administration takes a safety-first approach when making decisions, Norwin School District spokeswoman Lauren Steiner said.

They use the best information available at the time the decision must be made, including first-hand reports from drivers with the district’s busing contractor, First Student. Drivers head out at 4:30 a.m. to get a look at roads throughout the district.

“School delays or cancellations due to cold weather are based on weather forecasts which take into consideration temperatures, wind chill factors and gusty winds,” McCracken said. “However, in most cases, the temperature does not increase significantly from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. when school delays may be announced.

”Recognizing that we want to be in school as much as possible for valuable instructional time, we try to avoid cancellations based on temperature alone.

”If temperatures are in the low range of single digits, coupled with a below zero wind chill factor, then there may be justification for a school delay.”

Cold weather tips for the home

Heating and plumbing technicians at Armstrong Comfort Solutions are braced for increased emergency demand spurred by the icy temperatures. They offer 24/7 coverage in 11 counties in Western Pennsylvania.

“Our industry ebbs and flows with the seasons, but we generally see increased requests during extreme weather conditions,” President Don Tacik said.

He prepares the team by stocking extra supplies and hosting ongoing safety training that emphasizes working and driving in cold weather. They also add after-hours and weekend technician capacity, Tacik said.

He offered several tips for homeowners to help safeguard against weather emergencies, saying the No. 1 way to prep a home for cold weather is to schedule regular maintenance.

“You will want to change your furnace filters for your heating system and ensure any registers or vents are open and unblocked, including outdoor vents for your clothes dryer,” he said.

A vent blocked by snow can cause carbon monoxide to build up to toxic levels.

To protect plumbing, homeowners can insulate pipes, open cabinets and let water drip slowly, he said.

Streets, buses affected

Tom Bell, Greensburg streets superintendent, said he takes precautions once the weather drops too low for salt to work on the roads.

His crews mix it with anti-skid material for traction.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit has to consider what’s best for the 230,000 riders it serves daily with rail, bus and inclines.

“Whenever we expect below-freezing temperatures, which has already occurred a few times this year, we place as many buses and rail cars inside as possible,” spokesman Adam Brandolph said.

The fuel also is treated with an additive to help prevent it from freezing.

“We have an obligation to riders to operate service, so if we can, we will make every effort to do so,” he said.

Alan Blahovec, executive director of Westmoreland Transit, said he’s not too concerned with a cold spell, no matter how extreme.

“We keep running,” he said. “There isn’t much that has to be done ahead of time, just making sure the buses are all fueled. I’m more worried when we get a ton of snow.”

Blahovec said winter weather might cause the buses to run late, but that’s usually because of traffic tangles along the routes. He said there hasn’t been a reason to consider canceling service for many years.

“It would have to be pretty bad for us to think about that,” he said.

In Allegheny County, officials added 105 homeless shelter beds and are providing hot meals and access to services.

“We are encouraging everyone to come in from the elements,” spokeswoman Abigail Gardner said.

The Department of Human Services in October laid out a plan to tackle homelessness and offer safe places to go. Increased capacity and extended hours are offered during the coldest months, from November to mid-March. It includes a network of 12 facilities with more than 600 beds for single adults, Gardner said.

In addition, Gardner said the Second Avenue Commons is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. “if folks want to drop by for services, to come in from the cold or get some food, regardless of if you’re staying overnight in the shelter.”