The City of Pittsburgh has declared a state of emergency following Sunday’s heavy snowfall and the extreme cold that will last through at least a week.
An extreme cold warning has been issued for the majority of Western PA from 7 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Wind chills could reach as low as 25 below zero.
Many schools have already called a remote learning day or are closed Tuesday.
See the latest closings and delays HERE.
Just under a foot of snow fell at Pittsburgh International Airport during the storm that tapered off Sunday night.
But, amounts vary around the region, with some reports of up to two feet of snow in some places.
In communities like Beaver Falls and Zelienople, snow was falling at a rate of two to three inches per hour, and with the snow drifts, the National Weather Service says that can create different amounts, depending where you are.
Compared to Snowmageddon, NWS meteorologist Shannon Hefrin says “we are pretty much on par with some of the 24-hour amounts were near Snowmageddon, Snowmageddon was a two-day event, that’s why we got like 20 inches, but those 24-hour periods (in 2010) we were getting 9 and 11 and a half inches, so it’s a pretty significant snow.”
Now, the focus turns to the deep freeze that will make it hard for crews to completely clear roads. Rock salt becomes less effective around 15 degrees.
Highs through Saturday will be in the teens with lows through next Monday at or below zero.
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor said due to the storm, the city has joined multiple other areas in Western Pennsylvania to declare a State of Emergency which gives the city the power to bring in additional help.
He says the declaration allows them to bring in contractors “that are not only going to help remove snow, plow streets, but also to help haul out snow, so we can get it out of our neighborhoods, off of our businesses districts and allow people to get to work or school or wherever they need to be in the next couple of days.”
According to the Mayor, there are more than 50 trucks on the roads Monday working a 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift.
The city is also dealing with 37 trucks that broken down during the storm. Pittsburgh had over 90 trucks when the storm started.
Allegheny County Emergency Services Chief Matthew Brown said there are now 26 disaster declarations covering 29 municipalities including the City of Pittsburgh due to yesterday's winter storm.
Road conditions around the area vary from clear to poor.
Major roadways are clear for the most part with secondary and other roads still snow covered.
With the extreme cold, roads are expected to refreeze in some areas so if you have to go out, take it slow and be aware of your surroundings.