Many Finding It A Challenge To Stay Warm During Deep Freeze

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Because the extreme cold hasn't been enough, now some snow is moving through the area overnight, leaving a fresh coating of white just in time for the Friday morning rush hour.

KDKA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla says in the Pittsburgh area, we can expect about an inch.

"I don't expect a lot in the way of accumulation," he said. "A very weak disturbance will be coming across between now and about 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning and in the process putting down a half an inch, maybe an inch of accumulation locally and maybe a couple inches as you get further north of Interstate 80."

The City of Pittsburgh says they are operating at a Level 1 Snow Alert throughout the night and into the morning rush hour.

That means they'll be salting and plowing as needed, and large equipment will be assigned to main roads while small equipment will be clearing secondary roads.

"Through 8 o'clock [Friday] morning – although, I don't expect it's even going to last that long – couple, maybe three inches as you get further north. Locally, an inch, and maybe an inch and a half as you get closer to Interstate 80 corridor," said Verszyla. "But in and around Pittsburgh, an inch or less as a general rule of thumb."

Meanwhile, the dangerously low temperatures are starting to be quite the inconvenience. Between school closings, delays and dead batteries, a lot of people are looking forward to weather that's a little less harsh.

KDKA's John Shumway Reports:

Nothing says cold in Pittsburgh like ice flowing on the Allegheny River, but we're there, and plenty of folks never made it into the flow of the morning rush hour this morning.

"The car wouldn't start. It didn't even try to turn over, the alternator clicked and that was it," said Brookline resident Collin McCoy.

Like so many drivers, McCoy thought his 2-year-old battery was fine, but he didn't realize what this kind of cold does to the molecules of acid in the battery.

"So when it gets cold out, they move really slow, and you get a really slow crank, and that's when you get a dead battery," says Tim Deitz, of Troubleshooters.

AAA had more than 300 dead battery calls during the morning rush hour.

"A lot of times, we're the guys who save the day," said Nick Milanovich, of Kendall Towing.

For Robert Felton and Anthony Boyd, there was little hiding from the cold as they picked up recycling in Marshall-Shadeland.

"Every once in a while, we have to get back into the truck to warm up the hands just to get back out and pick it up. Other than that, somebody's gotta do it," said Felton.

The city knows this kind of work is a strain on its employees.

"If it gets too cold, we do cancel refuse services, but today we decided to go ahead with refuse services and we'll look at tomorrow," said Pittsburgh Operations Chief Guy Costa.

KDKA's Christine D'Antonio Reports:

Anyone outside will need to take a lot of breaks during this cold snap.

In Allegheny County, there are warming centers in:

-Greenfield
-Homewood
-North Side
-Sheraden
-South Side

They open at various times and some are even pet-friendly.

WARMING CENTERS: Click here for a full list of warming centers in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County

Things you can do to stay warm are to bundle up, wear mittens vs. gloves, wear light, but warm, layers – also make sure to cover up exposed skin with scarves.

Look out for possible signs of frostbite, including loss of feeling or white or pale fingers, toes and the tip of your nose.

"Keep moving, that's the key, keep moving," said postal employee Larry Klein.

Klein and many others deal with this cold all the time.

"If you get cold, you try to find a warm spot for your hands, mostly, but if you bundle up, like I am now, it's really not bad, you get used to it," said Jay Sipe with Bronder Tech Services.

It's also time to watch out for your neighbors.

If power goes out, be sure to look out for any elderly neighbors or ones who would need help staying warm.

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