Pitt cancels Tuesday classes anticipating 6 to 10 inches of snow

Students screamed from their windows and shouted in the Schenley Quad last night when they… Students screamed from their windows and shouted in the Schenley Quad last night when they found out that Pitt canceled classes for the second day in a row.

The University announced shortly before 6 p.m. yesterday that it would cancel today’s classes. Unlike Sunday night, it used both its website and the emergency notification system to tell students of the change.

Essential personnel, such as cleanup crews, still had to report to work today.

“We urge all members of the University to exercise caution and to make safety their top priority,” read a message on Pitt’s website.

University administrators said on the website that they made decision because the city’s public safety director suggested they close and because meteorologists expect another storm to arrive this morning.

Lou Giordano, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said a storm coming from the south should hit Pittsburgh around mid-morning today and could have an impact “just as great” as this weekend’s. The service issued a winter storm warning that will begin at 10 a.m. today and last until 7 p.m. tomorrow.

The storm will drop about 2 inches of snow throughout the day and another 3 to 4 inches during the night. Snow will continue into Wednesday and possibly into Thursday, bringing the total accumulation to between 6 and 10 inches, Giordano said.

“Considering the road crews are still cleaning up from the last one, the impact could be just as great for this one as for the last one,” he said. “Any of the problems you already had, they’re just going to be compounded.”

City Council declared a disaster emergency yesterday. The declaration allows city officials to buy snow-removal supplies and hire extra workers more quickly than it normally could. This followed similar declarations by the county and state this weekend.

“There are over 1,200 miles of narrow and sloped city streets that need attention. That is the equivalent of plowing snow from here to Miami. Add in 20 inches of snow, downed trees and power lines and you have a disaster that takes time to clean up,” City Council President Darlene Harris said in a news release.

Giordano said temperatures will probably stay below freezing until at least next week. Pittsburgh could get more snow showers this weekend.

The weather prompted City Council to move its meetings this week to Thursday. The legislative meeting will begin at 10 a.m., and the committee meetings will begin at 1 p.m.

Student Government Board also canceled its meeting, which was scheduled for tonight.