Butler County sees snow Tuesday, wind chill Wednesday
Fluffy, dry snow graced the county Tuesday morning, Jan. 16, and wind chills are expected to keep the temperatures low for the next few days, according to the National Weather Service of Pittsburgh.
A wind chill advisory started late Tuesday and was set to end Wednesday afternoon, according to meteorologist Lee Hendricks.
Snow accumulated on roads, cars and homes alike Tuesday, and Hendricks said the flakes were so light you could move them with one breath.
“The air is very cold, and very cold air doesn’t hold a lot of moisture,” Hendricks said.
Plow trucks could be seen scraping snow away and distributing salt along snow-covered roads Tuesday morning, but despite the efforts, traffic flowed slowly and many school districts closed or delayed classes for the day.
The cold could be worse than the snow, he said, as the wind chill advisory continued into Wednesday causing schools to move to remote learning or operate on a two-hour delay.
Mars Area schools have canceled in-person learning for Wednesday, Jan. 17, and will operate on a remote schedule due to single-digit temperatures and below-freezing wind chills, the district announced Tuesday afternoon.
The school districts of Butler, Freeport, Seneca Valley, Slippery Rock area, Knoch, Karns City, Moniteau and Allegney-Clarion Valley announced on Tuesday that they will operate on a two-hour delay Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.
Hendricks expected temperatures to reach a high of 18 degrees Fahrenheit Tuesday, but drop to a low of 4 degrees at night. Accompanied by 10 to 15 mph winds, wind chills of -15 degrees were predicted.
Wednesday’s high is forecast for the 20 degree range, with wind chills around -15, according to the weather service.
The National Weather Service of Pittsburgh advised certain vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, those with chronic illness, newborns, and those who work outdoors take special precautions when outdoors during the advisory period.
The service also advised the use of hats, gloves and scarves to conserve body heat when outside.
