Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown
Note: This story was last updated at 12:56 p.m.
Many offices and schools will remain closed on Wednesday because of the weather and road conditions, and some will open late. The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a winter weather advisory for snow on Wednesday and a wind chill watch for Wednesday night.
Schools in Oak Ridge and Clinton and Anderson and Roane counties will be closed again Wednesday. So will Roane State Community College campuses. Pellissippi State Community College will also be closed.
Anderson County Schools will be closed the rest of the week, officials said Wednesday, and the Central Office is closed as well.
Anderson County government offices and all courts will be closed Wednesday.
City of Oak Ridge offices will open at 9 a.m. City Hall in Rocky Top will close at noon Wednesday for deteriorating weather conditions.
Employees at the Y-12 National Security Complex had been scheduled to be on a two- to four-hour delay, but Y-12 will now be closed due to hazardous weather and road conditions.
Trash pickup by Waste Connections has also been affected.
“Due to the ongoing weather situation, trash and recycling service for the City of Oak Ridge is currently delayed,” the company said. “As soon as we feel it is safe to proceed, our goal is to start service where we were forced to stop late Monday and provide collection on a delayed schedule.
“However, if you do not receive service this week, we will collect any extra trash and recycling you have on your normal scheduled pick-up day next week.
“We continue to monitor the weather conditions and will resume as soon as we feel it is safe to do so. Please contact Waste Connections at (865) 482-3656 for any questions.”
There is a delayed 10 a.m. opening in effect for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information, Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, the Oak Ridge Nuclear Energy Site Office, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Office. Liberal leave is authorized as is telework if you have a situational telework agreement in place. These instructions will be updated no later than 9 a.m. Wednesday if conditions warrant.
The written and physical agility tests for City of Oak Ridge police officer and police officer trainee applicants scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, have been postponed due to severe winter weather. Testing will be rescheduled for a later date. Applicants will be notified by mail of the new testing date.
Extreme cold and high winds are in the forecast over the next few days, the Oak Ridge Electric Department said.
“Check emergency supplies and keep abreast of current conditions,” the department said.
ORAU’s Oak Ridge offices will be operating on a delayed opening schedule at noon.
In addition to schools and government offices and contractors, many local businesses have been closed due to the weather.
The winter weather advisory will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
A wind chill watch is in effect from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning.
The NWS said snow showers will move across the region throughout the day, generally producing up to one inch of snow, with some higher amounts up to two inches possible in some locations. Gusty winds during the day could also stress ice-coated trees and utility poles.
“Bitter cold arctic air will combine with northwest winds to create wind chill values between 20 below zero to 10 below zero Wednesday night,” the Weather Service said.
The wind chill watch area includes Clinton and Oak Ridge and Anderson County.
The forecast near Oak Ridge calls for a 40 percent chance of snow after 4 a.m. Wednesday, and snow showers are likely, mainly between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The new snow accumulation could be up to one inch.
The high Wednesday is forecast at 25, and the low Wednesday night is forecast at 5, with wind chill values between -7 and three. See more information here.
The Tennessee Valley Authority said the extreme cold temperatures could set a record for power demand.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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