Dangerously cold and windy conditions in Berks County are expected to persist through the weekend, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J., issued an extreme cold warning early Saturday that remains in effect until noon Sunday. Wind chills as low as 20 below zero are possible, according to the agency.
A wind advisory is also in effect through noon Sunday, with northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts reaching up to 55 mph.
Those winds could blow around unsecured objects and bring down tree limbs and power lines, forecasters warned.
Power outages were reported Saturday morning by PPL Electric Utilities and Met-Ed. In Heidelberg Township near Robesonia, about 600 PPL customers were without power. Met-Ed reported roughly 200 scattered outages across the county.
Also in Heidelberg Township, snowdrifts made North Church Road at Big Spring Road impassable, prompting South Heidelberg Township police — who provide coverage for the area — to issue a travel alert Saturday morning.
Police said Bernville Road was closed between Penn Avenue in Robesonia and St. Daniel’s Road in Heidelberg.
Residents without heat or adequate shelter can call 211 for assistance in locating emergency shelter from the cold, authorities said.
At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the temperature at Reading Regional Airport in Bern Township was 10 degrees and falling under sunny skies. Temperatures were expected to dip into the low single digits by midnight.
By dawn Sunday, the actual temperature is forecast to be near zero, with wind chills making it feel closer to minus 20.
Skies are expected to remain mostly clear and dry through Sunday. Around Super Bowl kickoff Sunday evening, the temperature in Reading is expected to be about 13 degrees — roughly five degrees warmer than Saturday’s early evening temperatures.