The U.S. National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., has released a wind chill advisory for Berkshire County and surrounding regions from midnight tonight until 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11.
Mount Greylock Regional Schools will be closed Tuesday.
A missive from Superintendent Jason McCandless said the reasoning for the closure is that a two-hour delay is not expected to result in improved temperatures and that classrooms and buses have had to keep windows open for airflow. "We are especially concerned about bus stop waits and students who walk to school," he wrote.
All afternoon activities at the elementary schools are canceled and a decision will be made later Monday on whether to cancel athletics on Monday.
Mount Greylock's announcement was followed later in the afternoon by Berkshire Hills, Lee, McCann, North Adams, and Pittsfield schools.
Wind chills as low as 15 below to 25 below zero are expected. The coldest wind chills will occur late Monday night into Tuesday morning.
The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Use caution while traveling outside and wear appropriate clothing.
During the day Monday, temperatures will stay in the low-20s. Temperatures will continue to drop throughout the late afternoon and evening. More snow flurries are expected, according to Accuweather.
Temperatures will be in the single digits Tuesday but will feel much cooler because of the wind chill.
Pittsfield will open three warming centers Tuesday: the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center, 330 North St.; Christian Center adjacent warming shelter, 193 Robbins Ave.; and the Salvation Army, 298 West St. At each location, visitors will be able to have a warm beverage and charge devices, if necessary.
These will be open normal hours of operations: 8:30 to 4 at the Senior Center; 8:30 to 3:30, Christian Center; 8 to 4, Salvation Army.
St. Joseph High School at 2 Maplewood Ave. continues to be available for overnight shelter services. Call 413-320-6550 for more information.
Pittsfield residents dealing with weather-related emergencies after-hours can call the Pittsfield Police Department.
As city officials continue to monitor the weather, any significant updates will be provided as necessary through the city's CodeRED notification system and/or through the Pittsfield City Hall Facebook page.
Midweek temperatures will start to creep up into the high 20s Wednesday and the mid-30s Friday. Expect lows in the single digits Friday.
Saturday also looks cold with temperatures below 15 throughout the county.
When we say an arctic blast... we really mean it...
This is a look at the HYSPLIT trajectory model... it allows us to see where our air is coming from... this time the Arctic Circle. pic.twitter.com/dGoiVdyBV8
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Pittsfield Celebrates Robert 'Bob' Presutti on Arbor Day
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Bob Presutti, right, is presented the Hebert Award in 2017 for his volunteer efforts at Springside Park. He died in 2023 at age 88.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A tree has been planted next to the Berkshire Athenaeum in honor of local "giant" Robert Presutti.
Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
"Today is a day where we yes, celebrate trees, but today is also a day where here in the city we intentionally try to acknowledge the good work of folks in our community who spend their time and their efforts and their talents to make Pittsfield a more beautiful place," he said to a crowd of about 20 people.
"Today we are honoring a longtime community volunteer named Bob Presutti. I'm sure a lot of you here know Bob and know his contributions to the city, not only when it comes to trees and parks but also to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program."
The longtime volunteer passed away last year at the age of 88. He contributed more than 10,600 hours to RSVP and had great impacts on the Parks Department over the years from sharing his knowledge and talents to ensuring that workers were safe when working on trees.
"This morning I went through my emails to see how many emails Bob Presutti sent me since the year 2001 when I started with the city. Bob Presutti sent me 14,000 emails and nearly every single one of those was about trees," McGrath said, prompting laughter and smiles from attendees.
One thread struck him as particularly important because it showed Presutti's empathy when it comes to the safety of city workers while caring for trees.
"There were multiple emails from Bob about the need to get the Parks Department maintenance guys into a program learning about chainsaw safety and learning about ladder safety. He was really into making certain that our city workers were well cared for and had all of the instruction that they needed and in fact, he even offered his own time and services after he became certified to teach our city workers," McGrath said.
Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
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Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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Between disagreements about site design and a formal funding process not yet established, more time is needed before a decision can be made.
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The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.
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