What to know about closures, delays and travel in Centre County due to winter storm

Josh Moyer
·2 min read

Jack Frost isn’t finished with Centre County just yet.

With forecasts calling for slippery road conditions Friday and as much as 4 inches of snow, school closure announcements began Thursday. The State College, Bellefonte, Bald Eagle, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola area school districts are all closed on Friday. Bald Eagle, Penns Valley and Philipsburg-Osceola have a Flexible Instruction Day.

Penn State also announced that classes, activities and work at the University Park campus were canceled from 5 a.m to 10 a.m. Friday.

Road restrictions

After the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Friday and early Saturday, PennDOT announced a series of restrictions that would prevent school buses and other vehicles from using some roads Friday.

In Centre County, the entirety of I-80 is under Tier 1 restriction, which means certain vehicles — such as tractors without trailers, RVs, school buses and motorcycles — are not be permitted on the roadway. I-99 is under the more serious Tier 2 restrictions.

On Friday morning, PennDOT announced the speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph on both I-99 and I-80 in Centre County.

The road restrictions were part of what led the State College Area School District and others to announce closures on Thursday.

“Because of expected poor road conditions and the forecasted duration of the storm, we believe there won’t be a safe window to transport students,” a note on the State College Area School District’s Facebook page read. “Additionally, PennDOT has placed Tier 2 restrictions on Interstate 99, prohibiting buses (Friday) morning.”

In a news release, PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advised motorists to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm. Although crews are actively pre-treating roadways ahead of the storm, the two organizations reminded drivers they may still encounter icy spots and should exercise extra caution when approaching bridges and highway ramps.

Snow emergencies

  • Harris Township declared a snow emergency effective 9 a.m. Friday. Vehicles must be removed from all municipal streets.

  • College Township declared a snow emergency effective 2 p.m. Friday. Street parking is not permitted.

This story will be updated as more closures are announced. For the latest on road conditions, visit www.511Pa.com.