Centre County school districts announce delays ahead of extreme cold temperatures
With a cold weather advisory issued for part of Centre County, two local school districts announced there will be a delayed start on Tuesday in anticipation of the frigid temperatures.
State College Area School District announced Monday afternoon that schools will operate on a two-hour delay Tuesday because of “extreme cold and anticipated icy conditions.” Later Monday, Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District also announced it would operate on a two-hour delay.
AccuWeather’s State College forecast predicts the temperature at 8 a.m. Tuesday will be just 3 degrees Fahrenheit with the “RealFeel” indexes dipping below zero due to wind chill and other factors. The forecast calls for a high temperature of just 14 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday and 13 degrees on Wednesday.
The cold weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service State College takes effect at 7 p.m. Monday for areas of central Pennsylvania, including southern Centre County, and runs through noon Wednesday.
“Frostbite and hypothermia are possible if precautions are not taken,” the advisory states, pointing to possible wind chills as low as 10 to 15 below zero.
All local schools are closed Monday, but some — including State College — issued statements about cold weather policies last week as the forecast of extreme low temperatures became clearer.
“Any decision takes into account how long students are exposed to the cold and whether buses can operate properly,” State College’s note to families read. “Sometimes it can be too cold for the amounts of fuel additive the district is allowed by state law to mix with school bus diesel fuel to prevent it from jelling.”
In a letter Friday to Bellefonte Area School District families, Superintendent Roy Rakszawski wrote that school policy cites a wind chill of minus 20 degrees as criteria for closing, but said that the district also evaluates other factors. That includes its ability to keep buses running and whether district building and school HVAC systems can keep students and staff safe.
“Come Monday evening, I will do my best to consider all factors and make the best decision I can,” Rakszawski wrote.
Bald Eagle Area School District Superintendent Chris Santini told the CDT last week that Bald Eagle Area will likely follow the same rough guidelines as State College and Bellefonte’s schools.
“Obviously, we want our kids to be safe and be in school, but if the diesel fuel for our buses gels up, we’re kind of out of business,” he said.
Santini posted on Facebook Monday that Bald Eagle Area plans for a full school day without a delay on Tuesday and would assess the situation for Wednesday at a later time.
A Penn State spokesperson told the CDT Friday said Penn State’s Hazardous Weather Team was monitoring the forecast and did not have plans to cancel classes, activities or work, but said that could change if the forecast changes or conditions worsen.
“As in all cases of inclement weather, students and employees are encouraged to use their own best judgment when considering whether to travel to campus or the need to leave early,” said Wyatt DuBois, director of Penn State’s public relations. “Students should coordinate with their instructors any time they have to miss class.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM.
