Centre County is now under a winter storm warning from 1 a.m. Thursday to 7 a.m. Friday and the anticipated snow and ice are causing closings, snow emergencies and highway restrictions.
According to AccuWeather, the storm is expected to most likely bring between 3 and 6 inches of snow and up to a quarter-inch of ice to the State College area.
“The main point is that road conditions will deteriorate very quickly on Thursday. Certainly, they could be slippery right from the get-go Thursday morning,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bob Larson said. “That’s going to greatly slow things down and possibly lead to treacherous travel.”
Here’s a look at the impacts of the anticipated storm. This list will be updated.
SCHOOLS
• Penn State has canceled in-person activities between 4 a.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday. Only employees who perform essential services should report during this time. Final exams originally scheduled have been rescheduled to Friday and Saturday in the same locations:
| Original Exam Date/Time | Rescheduled Exam Date/Time |
|---|---|
| Thursday, December 15 8:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. | Friday, December 16 12:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. |
| Thursday, December 15 10:10 a.m. – 12:00 noon | Friday, December 16 2:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. |
| Thursday, December 15 12:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. | Friday, December 16 4:40p.m. – 6:30 p.m. |
| Thursday, December 15 2:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. | Friday, December 16 6:50 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. |
| Thursday, December 15 4:40 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Friday, December 16 9:00 p.m. – 10:50 p.m. |
| Thursday, December 15 6:50 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. | Saturday, December 17 8:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. |
Individual instructors may choose to offer exams asynchronously online and university administrators have asked faculty to be flexible with students who have commencement or departure conflicts. Students living on campus who have their final exams rescheduled will have their move-out date extended.
• State College Area School District school buildings and offices will be closed and all after-school activities and events are canceled on Thursday.
• Bellefonte Area School District will have a flexible instruction day on Thursday. District buildings will be closed and only essential personnel should report to work. Students should login to their Google Classroom to get directions and assignments from their teachers in the morning.
• Bald Eagle Area School District will have a flexible instruction day on Thursday. All district buildings will be closed. Students should login to their Google Classroom for assignments.
• Penns Valley Area School District will have a flexible instruction day on Thursday.
• Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District will have a flexible instruction day on Thursday. All district buildings will be closed.
SNOW EMERGENCIES
• Harris Township has declared a snow emergency effective at noon on Thursday. All vehicles must be removed from township streets by 3 p.m., when ticketing will begin. Street parking is prohibited until 24 hours after the snowfall has ended. Public parking for those without off-street parking options is available in Nittany View, Blue Spring and Yoder Preserve parks. The township does not typically plow these parking areas and drivers may encounter difficult conditions.
• Patton Township has declared a snow emergency effective at midnight on Thursday. All vehicles must be removed from township streets until the emergency has been lifted. Residents are also reminded that they must clear the full width of their sidewalks of all snow and ice within 24 hours after the end of a storm.
• Penn State has declared a “midnight clear” for snow and ice removal on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Parking will be prohibited at all faculty/staff surface parking lots on campus, including Innovation Park, from midnight Wednesday through 7 a.m. Thursday and from midnight Thursday through 7 a.m. Friday. This restriction includes University vehicles and applies to all employee work shifts, regardless of reporting time.The roof levels of all five campus parking decks (East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany and West) will close Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.
REFUSE AND RECYCLING
• Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority will not collect recyclables countywide on Thursday. Recycling collections scheduled for Thursday will now take place on Friday and Friday’s recycling will be moved to Saturday
• For Benner, College, Ferguson, Harris, and Patton townships, both refuse and recycling collection scheduled for Thursday will move to Friday and regular Friday collections will move to Saturday.
OTHER CLOSINGS
• The Centre County Court of Common Pleas, magisterial district judge offices and court offices are closed on Thursday.
• Schlow Centre Region Library will be closed on Thursday. Patrons can visit schlowlibrary.org to manage accounts and download digital content.
• The Centre County United Way will be “unable to host” the Taste of the Town event scheduled for Thursday evening at the Bryce Jordan Center. It was not immediately clear if the event will be rescheduled. “We are very disappointed and ask for your patience as we work through this,” the organization wrote on Facebook.
• All YMCA of Centre County branches will delay opening until 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. All food distributions, home deliveries and food box pickups have been canceled. For a full list of canceled or delayed programs visit ymcaofcentrecounty.org/alerts/.
• Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania will be closed on Thursday.
• All State College-area Penn State Health offices will be closed on Thursday and appointments will be converted to telehealth where possible.
• Centre Volunteers in Medicine will be closed on Thursday.
• The following Mount Nittany Health locations and services will be closed on Thursday:
All Mount Nittany Physician Group practices
Lab and imaging services at Mount Nittany Physician Group locations
Mount Nittany Health Breast Care Center
Mount Nittany Health – Sieg Neuroscience Center
Sleep clinic studies are canceled for December 14
Mount Nittany Health Center for Wound Care, including Diabetes Foot Clinic and Orthotics
Mount Nittany Health Pain Management Program
Cancer Care Partnership
Mount Nittany Medical Center outpatient programs:
Cardiac/pulmonary rehab
Speech therapy
Medical treatment unit
Anticoagulation clinic
Radiation therapy
Bellefonte Corporate Services
Courier services
Mount Nittany Health Surgical Center and Mount Nittany Medical Center, including the emergency department, endoscopy services and laboratory services, will remain open
VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS
• PennDOT announced a number of vehicle restrictions on Interstates for Thursday. They include 45 mile per hour speed limits on Interstate 80 through the region, the entire length of I-99 and U.S. Route 322 in Centre County through Juniata County
Tier 3 restrictions are in place on the entire length of I-99 meaning no commercial vehicles are permitted except loaded single trailers with chains or approved Alternate Traction Devices. Additionally, all school buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes and passenger vehicles towing trailers are not permitted on affected roadways while restrictions are in place.
Tier 1 restrictions are in place on I-80 from I-79 to I-99 Under Tier 1 restrictions, the following vehicles are not permitted: tractors without trailers; tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers; tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers; enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that meet the definition of a CMV; passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers; recreational vehicles/motorhomes; school buses, commercial buses and motor coaches; and motorcycles.
PennDOT urges motorists to avoid travel if possible. If travel is necessary, use caution, reduce speeds and be aware of changing weather conditions.
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