Allegheny County courts, many schools to close again Wednesday due to cold weather

Allegheny County Common Pleas Courts will be closed again Wednesday, as will Pittsburgh Municipal Court, due to severe and hazardous cold weather conditions, court officials said

For the second day in a row, President Judge Susan Evashavik DiLucente has ordered the closure of all divisions of the county Common Pleas Court and all Magisterial District Courts, as well as the municipal court, according to a statement Tuesday.

Arraignment Court, however, will remain open for those proceedings. Emergency protection-from-abuse orders can be obtained at Arraignment Court, 600 First Avenue, Downtown.

Allegheny County offices also will be partially closed, and non-essential county employees equipped with technology to work at home will be expected to do so, county officials said.

Also Wednesday, schools throughout the region will hold classes online or suspend school altogether as a polar vortex continues to bring single-digit temperatures.

Students at Pittsburgh Public Schools again will follow their regular class schedules for remote, synchronous learning Wednesday. The district has canceled all transportation, and staff will work remotely.

The National Weather Service has issued a cold-weather advisory for Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, east-central Ohio and northern West Virginia due to low temperatures and below-zero wind-chill temperatures.

The NWS forecast for Wednesday calls for scattered snow showers between 3-8 p.m. with about a half-inch of accumulation. The weather service predicts a high temperature of 13 degrees and wind-chill temperatures as low as -14 degrees.

The high temperature for Wednesday is expected to hit 12 degrees, with wind-chill values as low as -16 degrees, before falling to a low of 4 degrees at night.

Wind chills from 15 to 20 degrees below zero are dangerously low, causing frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes and hypothermia with prolonged exposure, the NWS said in its advisory.

People who must go outside are urged to use caution and wear appropriate clothing, including hats and gloves. Pets should be kept indoors as much as possible, the NWS said.

Temperatures in the region are expected to rise somewhat Thursday, with a high of 26 degrees and a low Thursday night around 15 degrees, according to the weather service.

Jillian Forstadt of WESA contributed to this report.