Ice Storm Starts Monday Night - Warnings Issued For Tuesday - How School Will Handle
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Ice began covering the Midwest on Sunday, impacting Virginia, continuing in Ohio, and now is in the Hudson Valley. In Beacon on Monday at around 4pm, driveways started to get slick. By 5:30pm while misty rain fell and froze, as if Beacon were in a cloud, some neighbors attempting to take their trash out reported slipping on the steps, like @yaya_love_312: “OMG I almost died at the bottom of my steps taking the trash out 🤦🏾♀️.”
As we approach the year anniversary of when the COVID-19 pandemic became official, we are reminded that Disney+ was one of the first to make a blockbuster more easy to stream - Frozen 2, and almost broke the Internet as newly stressed people began binging TV: ”The Internet Is Getting Overloaded. Netflix Limits Streaming In Europe To Preserve Bandwidth”
Hudson Valley Weather forecasts for Tuesday: “Freezing drizzle mixed with sleet and plain rain... tapering off by mid morning. Temps in the low to mid 30s. NE wind 3 to 7mph. Treacherous conditions possible north of I-84 due to icing.” Central Hudson issued a warning to customers for power outages, which is reprinted below.
The Beacon City School District Superintendent Dr. Landahl announced on Monday morning that normally for an icy morning, a 2-Hour Delay would be probable. However, he explained the difference the pandemic induced Remote Learning schedule has on the traditional delay: “This year, due to the differences in our school schedules, we do not have a 2-Hour Delay, so on those days, we will offer remote instruction. However, one of the things we will have to take into account is if teachers and students have access to the internet. Power outages and internet outages across the region could make remote instruction impossible for us. This all becomes more real to us when we have a potential ice storm coming in on us.”
The District’s decision for the Remote Instruction will be announced at around 5am after the district team inspects the roads.
Message From Central Hudson:
Central Hudson is advising residents to prepare for wintry conditions that could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Mid-Hudson Valley on Monday night into Tuesday. These conditions have the potential to cause service interruptions in the region, especially in Orange County and southern portions of the area.
The National Weather Service has issued an Ice Storm Warning for Orange County until Tuesday afternoon while Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster counties are under Winter Weather Advisories.
“We are closely monitoring the incoming weather system and have a full complement of crews as well as our core contractors ready to respond if power outages occur,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “Our customers, too, are also advised to take precautions. Icing can damage trees and cause limbs to break and fall, bringing down power lines and causing outages and hazardous conditions.”
The current forecast is calling for a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to move into the area on Monday night. Higher snow totals are expected in the northern and western parts of the Mid-Hudson Valley while ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch are possible further to the south. Visit Hudson Valley Weather for the latest forecast information, or follow them on Facebook.
Our crews and support staff are practicing social distancing in an effort to keep employees and communities safe.
Remember to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees and limbs. Assume all downed lines are live and keep a wide distance from fallen trees and limbs. Motorists should also be aware of the potential for downed limbs and power lines that may block roadways and should never attempt to drive over or around downed power lines.
Please review the preparedness and safety tips below and use the resources listed in the right column of this message to report an outage and seek restoration estimates should you lose power.
People are reminded to avoid trees, as branches could fall, and to avoid standing under anything. Central Hudson also advises people not to use a grill or stove for heat, and other tips which you can read here.
