Allegheny County offices announce closure Tuesday after snowstorm

Allegheny County offices announce closure Tuesday after snowstorm

THIS IS A PITTSBURGH’S ACTION WEATHER SEVERE WEATHER ALERT. WELL, THE HEAVY SNOW HAS STOPPED FALLING, BUT ITS IMPACT IT IS GOING TO BE FELT AROUND HERE FOR DAYS. PEOPLE ALL ACROSS OUR AREA ARE STILL DIGGING THEMSELVES OUT OF THEIR HOMES. OUR TEAM COVERAGE TRACKING THIS RECORD BREAKING SNOWSTORM CONTINUES HERE ON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT 4:00. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. I’M KELLY SASSO I’M ANDREW STOCKEY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MANY COMMUNITIES IN OUR AREA ARE SEEING OVER A FOOT OF SNOW IN PITTSBURGH. NEARLY 14IN. PORTIONS OF INDIANA AND BUTLER COUNTY MEASURING 20IN. BECAUSE OF THAT, DOZENS OF COMMUNITIES HAVE DECLARED EMERGENCY DISASTERS. MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR MADE THAT DECLARATION FOR PITTSBURGH EARLIER TODAY. PLOW CREWS HAVE BEEN MAKING THE ROUNDS SINCE SATURDAY, OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY, BUT MAIN ROADS ARE STILL REALLY TRICKY AT THIS HOUR, SO OFFICIALS ARE STILL URGING PEOPLE TO STAY HOME IF YOU CAN. OUR LIVE TEAM COVERAGE CONTINUES RIGHT NOW. WE ARE KEEPING YOU UPDATED ON THOSE CONDITIONS AND ALSO THE RESPONSE ALL ACROSS OUR AREA. BUT FIRST, WE’RE BRINGING IN OUR METEOROLOGIST, BRIAN HUTTON, JUNIOR CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. BRIAN, AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE ICE REMAINING ON THE RIVERS RIGHT NOW, IT’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. AND ON TOP OF THAT THE SNOW. YOU ALSO HAVE THOSE REALLY REALLY COLD TEMPERATURES. AND IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE AS WE HEAD INTO THE UPCOMING WEEK. UNFORTUNATELY, TEMPERATURES WILL BE VERY COLD, NOT JUST WITH WINDCHILLS, BUT THE ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURE. SO WE HAVE SEVERAL SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAYS AND IMPACT DAYS LINED UP. TOMORROW WE WILL START WITH SUBZERO WIND CHILLS THAT STARTS TONIGHT AND WILL LAST THROUGH AT LEAST THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. WE’LL KEEP THE COLD, PERHAPS SOME FLURRIES AROUND ON WEDNESDAY, AND WE STAY COLD AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. AN EXTREME COLD WARNING GOES INTO EFFECT AT 7:00 THIS EVENING AND LASTS INTO TOMORROW AS OUR WIND CHILLS DROP, WE COULD SEE WIND CHILLS AS COLD AS 25 BELOW IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. TEMPERATURES ARE SITTING IN THE TEENS NOW ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. YOU FACTOR IN THE WIND, AND PRETTY MUCH ALL OF US FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. BORDERLINING ALREADY ON ZERO, AND AGAIN, IT WILL GET WORSE AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE NIGHT. TONIGHT WE’RE WAKING UP AT TWO BELOW ZERO. THAT’S THE ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURE. WIND CHILLS AGAIN. COULD BE AS COLD AS 25 BELOW ZERO. HIGH TEMPERATURES STAY IN THE TEENS AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK, AND OUR LOW TEMPERATURES ALSO AGAIN, WILL BE SITTING A COUPLE DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF ZERO. IN FACT, OUR COLDEST MORNING OF THIS STRETCH IS LIKELY FRIDAY MORNING, WHERE WE COULD START AT FIVE BELOW ZERO, SO WIND CHILLS WILL BE DANGEROUSLY COLD. SO TODAY AND TOMORROW, SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAYS WEDNESDAY THURSDAY IMPACT DAYS FRIDAY A SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAY. WE’RE NOT DONE WITH THE COLD. WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEEKEND AND SHOW YOU HOW COLD IT’S GOING TO FEEL AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH THIS WEEK. THAT’S AHEAD WITH YOUR COMPLETE 4-DAY PLUS 4 MORE. IT’S BRUTAL, BRUTAL STRETCH. ALL RIGHT, BRIAN, THANK YOU. PENNDOT IMPLEMENTED SPEED RESTRICTIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA YESTERDAY. NOW TODAY THOSE ARE MOSTLY LIFTED FOR OUR MAJOR HIGHWAYS. WE’RE GIVING YOU A LIVE LOOK HERE AT PARKWAY EAST NEAR THE SQUIRREL HILL TUNNEL. RIGHT NOW. THIS IS THROUGH THE LENS OF ONE OF THE MANY PENNDOT CAMERAS. THROUGHOUT OUR AREA. YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF SNOW OUT THERE. THE GOOD NEWS OUT OF THIS SHOT, THOUGH, WE’RE SEEING THE ROAD LOOKS CLEAR. REPORTER FELICITY TAYLOR JOINING US NOW FROM LIVE DRIVE FOR TRACKING CONDITIONS ON THE ROADS. SO FELICITY, WHERE ARE YOU? HOW’S IT LOOK OUT THERE? WELL, ANDREW, WE ARE ON PITT STREET. WE’RE LEAVING WILKINSBURG. GOING INTO THE CITY RIGHT NOW. THIS IS A LOOK AT THE ROAD HERE. SOMEONE DIGGING OUT THEIR CAR RIGHT NOW THAT WE’RE PASSING, YOU CAN SEE A VERY, VERY NARROW PATH FOR CARS TO DRIVE ON. AS WE’VE BEEN DRIVING AROUND FOR THE LAST 20 MINUTES OR SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE IS COMING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, YOU NEED TO PULL OVER BECAUSE THERE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH ROOM HERE. CLEARLY, THESE ROADS, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE BEEN TOUCHED A FEW TIMES, BUT NOT ANY TIME RECENTLY. SO THE SNOW HAS DEFINITELY BEEN MOVING AROUND AND THE TRACTION IS OKAY. DEPENDING ON WHICH PART OF THE ROAD YOU’RE ON. SO RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE’RE ABOUT TO CROSS AN INTERSECTION, WE CAN SEE WHERE THE PLOWS HAVE GONE BY. THEN THEY KIND OF PILE IT UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND THAT’S WHERE IT’S HARDEST TO GO OVER. SO WE’RE KIND OF BUMPING ALONG RIGHT NOW, A CAR AHEAD OF US JUST KIND OF SLID INTO THAT INTERSECTION UP ABOVE AND GOING UP A HILL LOOKS TO BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT FOR THESE PEOPLE UP HERE. BUT FOR NOW, I AM GOING TO SEND IT BACK TO YOU. WE’LL CHECK IN AGAIN IN A LITTLE BIT. YEAH, THAT’S REALLY THE STORY ACROSS THE REGION. SO SIDE STREETS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY PROBLEMATIC. EVEN TODAY CREWS IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, THEY’VE BEEN OUT THERE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR THE ROADS FOR HOURS. BUT THEY ARE DEFINITELY HAVING ISSUES BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES. AND REPORTER MARCIE CIPRIANI IS JOINING US LIVE FROM THE STRIP DISTRICT THIS AFTERNOON. AND MARCY O’CONNOR ADDRESSING THIS TODAY AS HE MADE A DISASTER DECLARATION FOR THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. THAT’S RIGHT, ANDREW. IN FACT, THE MAYOR SAYS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS HE DECLARED THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IS DUE TO THEIR FLEET. HE SAYS 37 OF THE 95 TRUCKS WENT DOWN OVERNIGHT. AND MANY OF THEM ARE RIGHT HERE IN THIS MAINTENANCE GARAGE IN THE STRIP DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS ABOUT 40% OF THE CITY TRUCKS ARE OUT OF COMMISSION. AND OFFICIALS SAY THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS YOU ARE STILL SEEING SO MANY SNOW COVERED ROADS. THESE ARE SOME OF THE IMAGES WE TOOK DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY THIS AFTERNOON, ROUGHLY AROUND 30 HOURS AFTER THE FIRST SNOW FELL. AS YOU CAN SEE, MANY OF THE ROADS ARE STILL SNOW COVERED. THE MAYOR SAYS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR CREWS WHO WERE OUT PLOWING WAS THE RATE OF SNOW WAS COMING, HE SAYS. WHEN THE DRIVERS WOULD PLOW THEIR ROUTE, GET TO THE END OF THAT ROUTE AND THEN HEAD BACK FOR ANOTHER PASS. THE ROADS WERE COVERED AGAIN. THE CITY FLEET, AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT FOR SOME TIME, IS AGING AND IN NEED OF REPLACING. AND WHILE THE MAYOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, HE SAYS FOR NOW THEY ARE FOCUSING ON THE TRUCKS LEFT ON THE ROAD AND GETTING THE OTHERS BACK OUT. THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY. THEY HAVE PUT IN A TREMENDOUS EFFORT HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE DOING A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB UNTIL WE LOST A LOT OF OUR EQUIPMENT. THE GARAGE WILL STILL REMAIN OPEN 24 OVER SEVEN. SO WE CAN GET THESE THESE EQUIPMENT BACK OUT ONTO THE STREETS AS QUICK AS WE CAN. NOW, WE DID SEE ONE TRUCK COME OUT OF THE MAINTENANCE GARAGE IN THE TIME WE WERE HERE. HOWEVER, WE SAW TWO GO IN IN THE LAST FEW HOURS. SO LIKELY THESE NUMBERS OF HOW MANY TRUCKS ARE ON THE ROAD. THEY CONTINUE TO FLUCTUATE. BUT MAYOR O’CONNOR SAYS BY DECLARING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY, HE CAN THEN GET CONTRACTORS ON THE ROAD NOT ONLY TO CLEAR THE ROAD, BUT TO GET THOSE PILES OF SNOW OUT AS WELL, HE SAYS. THAT IS THE MAIN FOCUS NOW, COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY FROM THE STRIP DISTRICT MARCIE CIPRIANI. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. OKAY, THANKS FOR THAT UPDATE, MARCY. AND ESPECIALLY LONGTIME PITTSBURGHERS, WE KNOW A LOT OF THE CONDITIONS AFTER A STORM LIKE THIS REALLY DO DEPEND ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU LIVE IN. DRONE FOUR HERE SHOWING US SOME OF THE STEEP ROADS ON THE SOUTH SIDE SLOPES. THAT WOULD BE REALLY ROUGH IF YOU WERE TO TRY TO DRIVE THEM ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD. SEEING THE IMPACTS THIS AFTERNOON IS BEECHVIEW. THAT’S WHERE WE FIND REPORTER SHELDON INGRAM, WHO JOINS US LIVE THIS AFTERNOON. SHELLEY, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING OUT THERE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS ARE DIGGING THEMSELVES OUT ALL OVER THE CITY. AND THE 89, 90 NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT IT’S ESPECIALLY TOUGH FOR THE FOLKS LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE STEEPEST STREETS. ONE IS SOUTH SIDE SLOPES RIGHT UP 18TH STREET AND THEN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED IS BEECHVIEW. AND HERE IS THE CHALLENGE THAT THEY’RE FACING. THIS IS THE INTERSECTION OF FALLOWFIELD AND BOUND AVENUES. FALLOWFIELD IS DOWNHILL, A STEEP GRADE, SNOW COVERED. IT IS SO STEEP, RESIDENTS SAY THAT PUBLIC WORKS HASN’T EVEN TOUCHED IT YET. AND THEY REALLY CAN’T BLAME THEM. SO THEY SAY THEY WILL EXERCISE PATIENCE. I’M SURE THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, RIGHT? LET’S BE, LET’S BE, LET’S BE HONEST, RIGHT? GETTING A SNOW PLOW UP AND DOWN. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER THEMSELVES, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THE LINE AT WHICH WE COMPLAIN AND WHERE IS THE LINE AT WHICH WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LITTLE UNDERSTANDING. PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING IS SOMETHING THAT MAYOR O’CONNOR MENTIONED YESTERDAY. SO THE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY WILL HAVE TO EXERCISE SOME PATIENCE AS THEY WAIT FOR THOSE TRUCKS TO COME THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE NEIGHBORHOODS AND STRAIGHT AHEAD IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, WE’RE UP IN SOUTH SIDE SLOPES TO SEE HOW THOSE FOLKS ARE MAKING OUT AS WELL. FOR NOW, COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PITTSBURGH’S SOUTH SIDE SHELDON INGRAM PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. THANK YOU. AND AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE CANCELED CLASSES FOR TOMORROW. PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAYS IT WILL HAVE ASYNCHRONOUS REMOTE LEARNING DAY WITH ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS CLOSED. NOW YOU CAN SCAN THE QR CODE YOU SEE RIGHT THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. FOR THE FULL LIST OF CLOSINGS AND DELAYS. YOU ALSO FIND THEM ON OUR WEBSITE, WTAE.COM. AND ALSO SCROLLING AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN. ALL RIGHT, WITH SO MANY COMMUNITIES IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY TRYING TO DIG OUT, THE COUNTY ITSELF IS NOW DECLARED A DISASTER EMERGENCY. REPORTER KALEA GUNDERSON IS JOINING US NOW LIVE FROM GREENTREE AND KELLY. YOU HAVE SOME UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS COUNTY CREWS ARE MAKING THIS AFTERNOON. ABSOLUTELY. ANDREW KELLY COUNTY CREWS ARE WORKING TO CLEAR 357 MILES OF COUNTY ROAD SINCE THE SNOW STOPPED YESTERDAY EVENING. THEY SAID THEY’VE MADE 18 PASSES ON EACH ROUTE, SO THAT IS SIGNIFICANT WORK. THEY’VE STARTED WITH THOSE MAIN THOROUGHFARES AND THEN MOVED ON TO THOSE SECONDARY STREETS. NOW THE COUNTY, AS YOU SAID, ISSUING THAT COUNTYWIDE DISASTER DECLARATION THAT ALLOWS THE COUNTY TO PULL ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR ITS EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITIES, OF COURSE, ARE FACING A VARIETY OF CHALLENGES IN THEIR RESPONSE, SOME BEING STRAINS ON THEIR SALT SUPPLY AND PLOWING CAPABILITIES. COUNTY EXEC SARA INNAMORATO NOTING FORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY DIDN’T SEE THE TYPICAL INCREASE IN EMERGENCY CALLS. OUR CALL AVERAGES AT THE 911 CENTERS WERE AVERAGE OR LOW, WHICH IS GREAT. THAT MEANS PEOPLE WEREN’T PUTTING THEMSELVES IN UNNECESSARY HARM. SO KEEP IT UP. NOW WE REALLY HAVE TO JUST BRACE FOR THE EXTREME COLD THAT’S COMING THIS WEEK. AS SHE SAID, THE COLD NOW BECOMES THE FOCUS. ALLEGHENY COUNTY’S EXTREME COLD WARNING TAKES EFFECT TONIGHT AT 7 P.M. SHE SAYS THAT WILL LAST UNTIL TOMORROW AT 11 A.M. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY TONIGHT IN GREENTREE, KALEA GUNDERSON. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. ALL RIGHT, KELLY, THANK YOU. THE WORK BY ROAD CREWS THAT STARTED JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT YESTERDAY IS BEGINNING TO SHOW. SNOW IS COMING OFF THE ROADS. BUT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT WESTMORELAND COUNTY ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THEIR HOMES. YET WESTMORELAND BUREAU REPORTER JOINING US LIVE TONIGHT FROM GREENSBURG. AND WE UNDERSTAND YOU SPOKE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE SHOVELING TODAY, PROBABLY SEVERAL TIMES. WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU? WELL, KELLY, THEY’RE TELLING ME THAT THEY ARE ALSO SEEING THAT PROGRESS, THAT SNOW IS COMING OFF THE ROAD, BUT NOW THEY’RE THE ONES KIND OF HAVE TO DEALING DEAL WITH IT ON THEIR SIDEWALKS AND THEIR DRIVEWAYS. BUT TO SHOW THAT PROGRESS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME. THESE ARE CREWS HERE IN THE CITY OF GREENSBURG DUMPING ALL OF THE SNOW THAT THEY CAN GET OFF OF THESE ROADS AND THAT THEY’VE PLOWED FROM THE START OF YESTERDAY AND INTO TODAY HERE IN THE EARLY EVENING. AND THAT’S JUST A PORTION OF THE SNOW. THERE IS STILL A LOT MORE THAT HAS CARS PARKED IN DRIVEWAYS AND STREETS, CARS THAT ARE PARKED THERE, THERE ARE VIRTUALLY TRAPPED. SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE OUT THROUGHOUT TODAY, NOT JUST DIGGING THEMSELVES OUT, BUT ALSO THEIR NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL. WHILE YOU SEE NEIGHBORS HELPING EACH OTHER EACH TIME IT SNOWS. ANYWAY, WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORM. WELL, WE GET SNOW. IT’S WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, BUT THEY SAID THIS WAS THE WORST IN 16 YEARS. DO YOU AGREE WITH THEM? YEAH, EVERYONE’S OUT THERE. THERE’S A PEOPLE, A COUPLE PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO GET OUT. AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING IS GOING AROUND GIVING THEM A HAND, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU NEED A HAND. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY PEOPLE. I WAS STARTED I’D SAY SUNDAY MORNING AT SEVEN AND I WAS OUT AT LEAST 4 TO 5 TIMES THROUGH THE WHOLE DAY. NOW, THE THING IS, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT IF IT MEANS THEY HAVE TO SHOVEL THEMSELVES OUT A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY’RE USED TO WITH AN AVERAGE SNOWFALL, IF IT MEANS THAT THE ROADS THEMSELVES ARE GETTING CLEARED OFF, THEY’RE HAPPY WITH IT. SO WE’RE GOING TO TALK TO SOME OF THOSE OFFICIALS THAT I SPOKE WITH EARLIER TODAY. YOU’LL HEAR PARTS OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS COMING UP IN THE REPORT AT 430 COVERING WEST

Allegheny County offices announce closure Tuesday after snowstorm

Updated: 4:24 PM EST Jan 26, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Allegheny County offices will be closed on Tuesday, hours after the region was plagued with inches of snow and bitterly cold temperatures. VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Monday, Jan. 26 In a release on Monday, officials said county offices will be closed due to severe weather conditions on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The closures include non-essential functions like parks, facilities, and administrative offices.Where possible, employees are encouraged to work from home. Essential services, the county said, will remain as normal.The closure comes after multiple areas in Allegheny County saw over 10 inches of snowfall Sunday morning and afternoon. County officials said the Controller’s office and the Treasurer’s office will be closed to the public, and employees will work remotely. The Treasurer’s office call center will remain open and staffed at (412) 350-4100.The county said the Allegheny County Jail will remain closed to visitors. Anyone (adults without children) seeking shelter during the continuous drop in temperatures is encouraged visit Second Avenue Commons (700 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219) or call the Allegheny Link, the release said. Families with children experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County should contact the Allegheny Link immediately at 1-866-730-2368.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. —

Allegheny County offices will be closed on Tuesday, hours after the region was plagued with inches of snow and bitterly cold temperatures.

VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Monday, Jan. 26

In a release on Monday, officials said county offices will be closed due to severe weather conditions on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The closures include non-essential functions like parks, facilities, and administrative offices.

Where possible, employees are encouraged to work from home. Essential services, the county said, will remain as normal.

The closure comes after multiple areas in Allegheny County saw over 10 inches of snowfall Sunday morning and afternoon.

County officials said the Controller’s office and the Treasurer’s office will be closed to the public, and employees will work remotely. The Treasurer’s office call center will remain open and staffed at (412) 350-4100.

The county said the Allegheny County Jail will remain closed to visitors.

Anyone (adults without children) seeking shelter during the continuous drop in temperatures is encouraged visit Second Avenue Commons (700 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219) or call the Allegheny Link, the release said.

Families with children experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County should contact the Allegheny Link immediately at 1-866-730-2368.

Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.