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Freezing Rain Covers Berkshires, Closes SchoolsStaff reports
iBerkshires
11:56AM / Thursday, December 11, 2008
A sleety mix is icing up the Berkshires.
Schools around the region have canceled or shortened classes as freezing rain falls across New York's Capital Region, Berkshire County and Bennington County in Vermont. An ice storm warning is in effect until 1 p.m. on Friday.
Florida and Savoy schools were closed early; other Berkshire County schools are sending their students home at noontime, including North Adams and McCann Technical, as well as Stamford (Vt.) School.
Clarksburg School is closing at 1 p.m. and Pine Cobble at 12:40.
Mount Greylock Regional High School and the Pittsfield Public Schools will close at their regular times but have canceled all after-school activities, including Mount Greylock's School Council and Pittsfield's play.
Berkshire Community College has canceled only its evening classes at McCann; the college's Pittsfield and South County campuses will remain open today and this evening as scheduled.
Most school-related activities are canceled this evening. Listen to our media partner the Berkshire News Network (WNAW 1230 AM and WUPE 100.1 FM and 1110 AM) for more cancellations and the listings on iBerkshire's front page. Submit cancellations to info@iberkshires.com.
Motorists are advised to drive with caution. The freezing rain is making roads and driveways slippery; sidewalks may be icy.
The National Weather Service is predicting up to a quarter-inch of ice accumulation, enough to make roads and sidewalks a slippery mess. The sleet and freezing rain is expected to continue through the night with total sleet accumulations of up to an inch.
Channel 13 News in Albany, N.Y., said a low pressure system moving up the East Coast is responsible for the icy precipitation; a more powerful storm will move through the area later tonight.
Snow will fall in the higher elevations, but temperatures will remain high enough in the lower areas to keep the mix on the rainy side.
Ice storm warnings have been issued for all of Central and Western Massachusetts and the mid-Hudson Valley of New York and the eastern Catskills. Significant icing is likely and there is concern over power outages because of the potential ice build-up.
The entire region should expect some snow by Friday afternoon as temperatures fall; most of the accumulation will be higher elevations of easter New York and southern Vermont. |
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