SNOW UPDATE | Mahoning County recycling collections canceled, libraries on delay

YOUNGSTOWN — A heavy, wet overnight snowstorm, which had dumped more than 8 inches of snow on the Mahoning Valley before the morning commute to work, closed schools, slowed traffic to a crawl and delayed this morning’s opening of retail businesses and public libraries.

Youngstown State University canceled classes meeting before noon today.

Kent State University closed its Trumbull, Salem and East Liverpool campuses all day.

The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County announced it will delay the opening of its branches until 1 p.m. today to allow parking lots to be plowed.

The system has 15 branches throughout the county. All are normally open on Tuesdays, with the exception of Campbell Library.

The Mercer County commissioners closed the county courthouse due to the weather emergency. Those who were scheduled for jury duty should call to find out when they will be required to report.

Also, Judge Thomas R. Dobson of Mercer County Common Pleas Court issued a court order extending the petition filing deadline for candidates for Republican precinct committee positions in the county one day. Those petitions must now be filed with the bureau of elections no later than 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Curbside recycling collections were postponed in Mahoning County due to hazardous road conditions, and there will be a one-day delay in those collections for the rest of the week, the county 's Recycling Division announced.

Meanwhile, due to the severity of the storm, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has temporarily reduced the speed limit to 45 mph on Interstate 79 in Mercer, Crawford and Erie counties and Interstate 80 in Mercer and Venango counties.

PennDOT is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel.

In Youngstown, vehicles became stuck while attempting to ascend the Glenwood Avenue hill, just south of Mahoning Avenue, this morning.

Even the slightest incline was insurmountable for some vehicles, which were unable to ascend the slight inclines on the Fallen Firefighters Memorial and Marshall Street bridges to enter downtown Youngstown.

Other reports:

• A Canfield Road cleaners and a Glenwood Avenue gasoline station, which normally open reliably at 7 a.m., were still closed a half hour later.

• Drivers arriving to the city from Boardman via Market Street this morning found one clear path on Market Street as plowed by the state. After crossing Midlothian Avenue into the city, streets at 8:15 a.m. were snow packed with only evidence of some earlier plowing.

• Market, 224, 680 and 11 between Youngstown and Canfield are all clear now.

• Youngstown declared a snow emergency until further notice, with the associated on-street parking ban, but it didn’t take effect until 6 a.m. today.

• The city police department reports state Route 711 has been reopened.

• Cruisers were stationed in front of some of the on ramps and a tractor trailer and car spun out on the southbound entrance ramp from U.S. 422.

• Western Reserve Road has not been plowed from Route 62.