Community Corner
🌱 'Life Threatening Cold' + Holiday Weekend Events + Solar Farm
The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Pittsburgh.
Hey, Pittsburgh! Happy Friday! I'm back with your new edition of the Pittsburgh Daily. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick guide to the most important things going on around town. Today you'll find these stories and more:
- Pittsburgh being hit with 'Life Threating Cold'
- Pittsburgh plans solar farm on former steel mill waste site
- Pittsburghers urged to stay off the streets as Public Works deals with treacherous icy roads
Stay safe out there, and have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Very windy; snow, 1-3 in. High: 18 Low: -2.
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Here are the top stories in Pittsburgh today:
1) The massive winter storm that Western Pennsylvania has been bracing for has arrived, bringing with it snow, damaging winds and what the National Weather Service predicts soon will be "life threatening cold." A winter weather advisory remains in effect for the region through 1 p.m. Expect additional snowaccumulations between one and three inches and winds gusting up to 45 mph. A wind advisory is in effect until 7 a.m. Saturday. A wind chill warning remains in effect until noon on Saturday, with wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero. According to the weather service, the dangerous wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. Temperatures are expected to fall to around zero by 2 p.m. and fall below zero overnight. The high on Christmas Eve will be near 11; the high on Christmas Day will be near 18. Plan on hazardous road conditions through Friday's evening commute, with bridges and overpasses particularly slippery.
2) It's Christmas weekend in Pittsburgh, and while there might not be much going on Saturday or Sunday, Friday and Monday offer some great entertainment options. Though some Immaculate Reception events have been canceled, others are set to go on as scheduled, including a gathering planned for Friday afternoon at the Immaculate Reception monument on West General Robinson Street between Acrisure Stadium and where Three Rivers Stadium once stood. The event will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at the exact spot where Harris made the Immaculate Reception to beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 in a 1972 AFC playoff game. The final performances of Jean Shepherd's holiday classic take place Friday at 2 and 4 p.m. at the O'Reilly Theater Downtown. It's the heartwarming and hilarious story of 9-year-old Ralphie Parker's quest for the holy grail of Christmas gifts – the Red Ryder carbine action BB gun. If you're looking for a holiday treat that's a little off the beaten path, check out the Scaife Galleries' Neapolitan Presepio, an elaborate nativity scene recreated with what the Carnegie Museum of Art describes as "miniature figures arranged in a detailed panorama of 18th-century life in Naples." Finally, the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters have been coming to Pittsburgh to perform on the day after Christmas for the last 50 years — and this year is no exception. One of the longest standing same date tour stops in the U.S. continues on Monday, Dec. 26, a federal holiday. The Globetrotters games will tip off at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
(TribLIVE)
3) Land between Squirrel Hill South and Swisshelm Park, formerly a dumping ground for steel mills, is being repurposed into a solar farm site to be used to generate clean energy. It will become "a symbol of a clean energy future for the Steel City," said Lilly Freedman, a manager for the Urban Redevelopment Authority, which owns the land. But while the site is covered with trees, shrubs, and informal trails, it's still a brownfield, said Freedman. "The site will need to be remediated before any development can occur."In 2022, the URA worked with Civil & Engineering Consultants, Inc. to create a plan for that clean up. After looking at various options, the recommendation is to cover the earth with "clean fill," so the area can be used for industrial and recreational uses. Once the Department of Environmental Protection approves that approach, the URA can select a contractor to install the solar panels. The move to green energy is even more exciting because it was the residents of Swisshelm Park who made the call, Warwick said. "Ultimately they decided that green energy was more important than more luxury housing."County Controller Corey O'Connor said he can't remember a single person who opposed the new direction at the first community meeting with the URA in 2021.
4) The 'Januscary' film fest is returning to Harris Theater in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will showcase six spine-chilling movies in January, each film with a different adventure to give terrifying pleasure with five days of horror, girl gangs and alien attacks. The festival lineup includes "Slash/Back" on Jan. 6, 9 and 11; "Kids Vs. Aliens" Jan. 6 and 9; "Huesera" Jan. 7 and 10; an Abbot & Costello double feature ("Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein" and "And Abbot and Costello Meet The Mummy" Jan. 8; and "Satanic Hispanics" Jan. 8, 10 and 11. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
5) 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. 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.
Today in Pittsburgh:
From my notebook:
- US National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA: "We've got a lot of Warnings/Advisories out for this weekend. Here's all you need to navigate the hazards: ❄️" (US National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA via Facebook)
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: "Due to anticipated winter weather and the upcoming holiday, the Zoo will be closed Friday, December 23, Saturday, December 24, and Sunday, December 25. The Zoo will reopen to the public on Monday, December 26. Learn more ➡️ https://bit.l..." (Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium via Facebook)
- Pittsburgh Public Schools: "Don't forget to make time for fun this holiday break! Scan the QR code and register today for the ultimate Ice Skating Party! #WeArePPS" (Pittsburgh Public Schools via Facebook)
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: "Stay warm this season by enjoying our Holiday Magic! virtual tour from the comfort of your own home! Experience our arctic adventure with topiary animals, icy glaciers, winter blooms and so much more. Buy or rent your video today." (Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens via Facebook)
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Events:
- T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (December 27)
- Santa's Spoiled Escape Room (December 28)
- Add your event
Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new update.
— Rachel Tasker
About me: Rachel is a native Pennsylvanian with stops in Erie and State College before making Pittsburgh her home in 2020. She's got a background in a little bit of everything... from working in media newsrooms and public health to the 2016 Presidential election in Washington, D.C. and the 2019 Super Bowl where (surprise!) Tom Brady won... AGAIN. She loves good coffee, bad reality T.V., attending local events and trying new food in the 412. She resides in the South Hills.
Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pittsburgh Daily? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com
