The city of Pittsburgh is urging people to stay home on Friday because of expected treacherous driving conditions due to the weather. Mayor Ed Gainey also urges private employers to give their employees the day off, as the city is doing with all of its non-essential workers. “This is going to be Pittsburgh weather, come this weekend. It’s going to be a Pittsburgh storm. And we all know what that looks like,” Gainey said.With rain, plunging temperatures and a flash freeze followed by snow expected, the city said Public Works crews will be out in force but cannot pre-treat the streets overnight and early Friday morning.”We don’t know how bad this storm is going to be. But we know that in order to treat the streets, make sure they’re ready, we need people to be out of the streets. Stay home where it’s warm, be with your family and friends,” Gainey said during a news conference Thursday.Pittsburgh Public Works Director Chris Hornstein offered the same advice.”We’re asking everybody to stay home. Our goal here is to get everybody home safe for the holidays. Because of that, we’re pulling all available resources in public works to address the snow and ice,” Hornstein said.”We’re asking everybody hopefully stays off those roadways until they’re safe. Please don’t go out unless you need to,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said.Six streets will pre-emptively close overnight in advance of the predicted flash freeze:Capitol AvenueNewett StreetCopperfield StreetSouth Negley AvenueSuffolk StreetRialto StreetPittsburgh Public Works will have more than 60 city trucks out overnight and more than 75 during the day Friday. They’ll start putting down salt as soon as the weather changes.Hornstein said the city has plenty of salt to spread.”If you can, please allow your employees to stay home tomorrow,” Gainey said. “Now me saying that, just because the mayor is asking people to stay home, don’t mean their employers have to let them. So I don’t want nobody saying, ‘The mayor said I can stay home.’ That’s not what I’m saying. I’m not saying that.”Gainey’s also had a message for people getting ready for the holidays.”There’s a lot of us that are late Christmas shoppers. Go out tonight. Get what you need tonight and stay home tomorrow. That’s what I’m going to do,” Gainey said.Gainey also encouraged Pittsburghers to check on their older neighbors and offer to help them deal with the coming weather.The city announced that it would be pushing back garbage and recycling collection back by one day through Dec. 31 because of the icy weather. Collection planned for Friday will be conducted Monday.
The city of Pittsburgh is urging people to stay home on Friday because of expected treacherous driving conditions due to the weather. Mayor Ed Gainey also urges private employers to give their employees the day off, as the city is doing with all of its non-essential workers.
“This is going to be Pittsburgh weather, come this weekend. It’s going to be a Pittsburgh storm. And we all know what that looks like,” Gainey said.
With rain, plunging temperatures and a flash freeze followed by snow expected, the city said Public Works crews will be out in force but cannot pre-treat the streets overnight and early Friday morning.
“We don’t know how bad this storm is going to be. But we know that in order to treat the streets, make sure they’re ready, we need people to be out of the streets. Stay home where it’s warm, be with your family and friends,” Gainey said during a news conference Thursday.
Pittsburgh Public Works Director Chris Hornstein offered the same advice.
“We’re asking everybody to stay home. Our goal here is to get everybody home safe for the holidays. Because of that, we’re pulling all available resources in public works to address the snow and ice,” Hornstein said.
“We’re asking everybody hopefully stays off those roadways until they’re safe. Please don’t go out unless you need to,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said.
Six streets will pre-emptively close overnight in advance of the predicted flash freeze:
- Capitol Avenue
- Newett Street
- Copperfield Street
- South Negley Avenue
- Suffolk Street
- Rialto Street
Pittsburgh Public Works will have more than 60 city trucks out overnight and more than 75 during the day Friday. They’ll start putting down salt as soon as the weather changes.
Hornstein said the city has plenty of salt to spread.
“If you can, please allow your employees to stay home tomorrow,” Gainey said. “Now me saying that, just because the mayor is asking people to stay home, don’t mean their employers have to let them. So I don’t want nobody saying, ‘The mayor said I can stay home.’ That’s not what I’m saying. I’m not saying that.”
Gainey’s also had a message for people getting ready for the holidays.
“There’s a lot of us that are late Christmas shoppers. Go out tonight. Get what you need tonight and stay home tomorrow. That’s what I’m going to do,” Gainey said.
Gainey also encouraged Pittsburghers to check on their older neighbors and offer to help them deal with the coming weather.
The city announced that it would be pushing back garbage and recycling collection back by one day through Dec. 31 because of the icy weather. Collection planned for Friday will be conducted Monday.
