Pike County Ohio Gripped by Severe Cold Then Snow

A freeze swept across the northeast of the United States, with Pike County Ohio in the middle of the line of fire, so to speak. The past few days have been bitterly cold, with the daytime temperatures crawling past fifteen degrees and nighttime temperatures between five and twelve degrees. The wind chill factors have frequently been at ten below zero degrees or colder during the last forty-eight hours. Due to the extreme frigid temperatures, all area schools have been closed since Friday of last week.

The snow started to fall around 2 PM this afternoon. Quite unexpected to many Pike Countians was the speed at which the snow began to make itself a problem. Within minutes of the snowfall's beginning, the roads were white and slick.

An alert at the weather channel online reads: BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON- LEWIS-CLINTON-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS- PIKE- SCIOTO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BROOKSVILLE...MOUNT OLIVET... MAYSVILLE...VANCEBURG...WILMINGTON... GEORGETOWN...HILLSBORO... WEST UNION... PIKETON...PORTSMOUTH 1206 PM EST TUE FEB 6 2007

...HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY...

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY.

SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA BY EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES EXPECTED BY MIDNIGHT.

However, it is currently 5:09 PM, and the snow measures an approximate depth of 4 inches. The snowfall does not appear to be slowing down. In fact, the snowfall appears to be coming down faster, and estimates of 7 inches by midnight could fall short of the total. Snow flurries is also expected to continue through tomorrow.