Volley of sleet, ice pelts Valley

Photo by: Robert K. Yosay

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Overnight snow and ice turned Tuesday into a snow day for many Mahoning Valley families. Davey LaRosa, 3, and his sister, Zoe, 5, went sledding down a hill off Main Street in Poland with their dad, David. Today promises more of the same slick and icy conditions.

AP

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This satellite image provided by NOAA and taken Tuesday Feb. 1, 2011 at 10:45 EST shows a huge swath of the United States affected by a winter storm that has already brought layers of dangerous ice and blowing snow, closing roads and airports from Texas to Rhode Island. The storm's more than 2,000-mile reach threatened to leave about a third of the nation covered in a hodge-podge of harsh weather. Ice fell first and was expected to be followed by up to two feet of snow in some places. (AP Photo/NOAA)

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

If Tuesday provided many a day off without much reason, an overnight ice storm may make today seem like a day without relent.

Slick road conditions from freezing rain and snow Monday night into Tuesday caused Youngstown State University, government offices and local schools throughout Mahoning County to close Tuesday — and left some residents wondering if county officials acted too hastily.

In fact, county Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti said she was never consulted about the decision to close county offices.

Wednesday could be a legitimate day for closings and cancellations, however, some say.

“Messy is one word that would describe the weather” today, said Kirk Lombardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland. “There will be freezing rain and sleet.”

The Mahoning Valley was expected to have about one-quarter to one-half of an inch of ice with 1 inch of snow by this morning, Lombardy said.

“A lot of trees could be significantly covered with ice,” he said. “It will get worse and worse.”

Also, 1 to 2 inches of snow is expected Wednesday from the mid-morning until the afternoon.

All libraries in the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County system will be closed today due to weather conditions, the library system announced late Tuesday.

Parts of Canfield along U.S. Route 224 were without power Tuesday, and police said it was unclear if the outage was weather-related as of late Tuesday night.

David Turner, Ohio Edison area manager, said crews were on notice of the impending weather and will be sent out as needed to serve any of the nearly 240,000 customers in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Turner said as a precaution, Ohio Edison personnel spent Tuesday planning and preparing for the worst- case scenarios.

“The preparation for an ice storm is no different than a snow or rain storm,” he said. “You’re still looking at poles and wires coming down and trees and tree limbs down on lines.”

Turner said it’s difficult to predict if outages will occur and how bad they will be.

“We’ve had instances where we’ve had heavy storms and minimal outages and instances where the storm is light with heavy outages,” he said. “Weather can’t be predicted.”

Turner said those who may experience an outage should call Ohio Edison at 1-888-544-4877. He said residents should have extra batteries, flashlights and a portable radio available.

“Using candles, power generators and portable heaters can be dangerous. They can and do create fire hazards,” he said. “Never touch a downed power line. Don’t touch anything a downed power line is touching.”

Bevi Powell, director of communications for AAA, said all drivers should carry a few items in the car in case of emergencies, including a flashlight, a snow shovel, an extra blanket, jumper cables, window-washing solvent for ice removal, your cell phone and a bag of abrasive material such as salt, kitty litter or sand that can be poured behind wheels to help with traction.

“Most people just put those together themselves by stopping at a department store or auto parts store,” Powell said.

Winterizing your vehicle goes a long way in preventing the need for use of such items, as AAA advises in a news release.

AAA suggests checking antifreeze levels and having hoses flushed to ensure the cooling system works, testing battery levels and having alternator belts adjusted properly. Drivers should also make sure windshield wipers, tires and brakes work effectively.

Youngstown State University canceled classes Tuesday due to the inclement weather, and the decision provoked mixed feelings among students and staff.

Tim Daniels, a 20-year-old music major, said he missed a handful of classes.

“We have a concert coming up and that’s two days of rehearsals gone if they cancel [Wednesday],” he said. “Some people may kill me, but I don’t want to miss that much school.”

Daniels was walking back through campus after grabbing lunch at Subway. Others looking for a bite to eat weren’t as fortunate, such as Dr. Jeffrey C. Dick, a professor and chair in the department of geological and environmental sciences. He noticed all of the restaurants on Lincoln Avenue — a hot spot for students — closed early Tuesday afternoon.

But Dick, who said he had one scheduled lab to instruct Tuesday, agreed with the university’s decision.

“I would say it was warranted, on account of the ice in the morning and [more] is predicted to come through in the afternoon,” he said. “I think you have to put the safety of the students, the staff and the faculty, put them first, particularly because it’s a commuter university.”