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Wind Chill Advisory Issued As Pittsburgh Heads Into Deep Freeze

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It's the ugliest part of winter: bitter cold.

But our region will be dealing with it for the next few days.

According to the National Weather Service, a Wind Chill Advisory will be in effect from 1 a.m. Thursday through noon Friday.

"Heading through the day [Thursday], we can expect to see blustery and frigid conditions," said KDKA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla.

Latest Forecast:

Pittsburgh Public Schools cancelled Thursday classes because of the cold. Two districts in Fayette County have already cancelled both Thursday and Friday.

Walking in the bitter cold is one thing, but what if you had no place to live?

Along Second Avenue, under the Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh, some people have set up tents. Pittsburgh Police planned to go back to the site Wednesday night to urge people to get to shelter.

At the Area Agency on Aging, Mildred Morrison says they've been busy.

"Right now, calls are being made to almost a thousand people a couple times a week," said Morrison. She says they're checking in on elderly people who live alone.

"We have supplies of emergency heaters that if we need to bring into someone's home, or if it's a dire situation, and we need to temporarily relocate them for a day or two until the furnace gets fixed, we'll do whatever," said Morrison.

This latest round of winter mayhem swept in around midday Wednesday with a snowy vengeance.

"I love snow, and I love snow like a child, so it makes me feel happy, but when I have to drive, I grow up again," said George Pavlovich, of Oakland.

Roads were quickly covered as up to two inches fell in less than two hours.

Road crews went on the attack as soon as the flakes flew, so in short order the roads returned to passable, but traffic still slowed as a precaution.

"It's getting worse out there," said Liz Tustin, of Moon Township. "The roads are getting slippery. I slid a little bit when I was out there today. Even with four-wheel drive, when I was going around a corner, I slid."

KDKA's John Shumway Reports:

And with this latest batch of snow, winds picked up and wind chills dropped, which means school superintendents are faced with another morning of decisions.

"We have a lot of walkers in our district. I have a lot of kids who depend on bus transportation," said Gary Peiffer, the superintendent of the Carlynton School District. "How does that wind chill effect our bus garages ability to run?"

Peiffer says a wind chill in the 10 below range may warrant a delay, and 20 below would likely force a cancellation. For parents, a lot rides on the decision.

"Between the two of us, we can finagle a way to have somebody home, but it does change the dynamic a little bit," said Sarah Paladin, of Reserve Township.

But many times, that calls for last-minute scrambling.

"They do wait until the last minute for some people, some districts, which is really crazy," said Janet Soda, of Robinson Township.

KDKA-TV Meteorologist Dennis Bowman expects Thursday's high temperature to be 7 degrees, with a low of minus-7.

The record low for Feb. 20 in Pittsburgh was minus-2 degrees, which was set back in 1936.

Friday has a projected high of 11 degrees, with a low of 2 degrees.

"Wind chills will be five to 10 below zero, then the temperature will go below zero again [Thursday] night into Friday morning, and that could provide wind chills of 15 to 20 below zero for a brief period Friday before temperatures warm up and winds relax and milder temperatures will follow for the weekend," said Verszyla.

For the weekend, expect some mixed precipitation and some snow with highs in the 30s.

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