Photo by Michael Erb A utility crew works at the corner of 13th Street and Stephenson Avenue in Parkersburg on Wednesday as bitterly-cold winds whip up a cloud of snow. The windchill dropped into the negatives Wednesday, and officials warned those traveling or working outside to bundle up.

PARKERSBURG — Schools throughout the valley closed Wednesday and many will remain closed today as a blast of arctic cold sweeps through the area.

Wednesday afternoon, Wood, Pleasants, Jackson, Wirt, Gilmer, Wetzel, Calhoun, Doddridge, Roane and Tyler County schools announced they would be closed today due to cold weather and potentially dangerous conditions for students.

The following schools in Washington County are closed today because of inclement weather: Belpre City Schools, Belpre Christian Academy, Marietta City Schools, Fort Frye Local, Frontier Local, Warren Local and Federal Hocking.

Temperatures were in the single digits much of Wednesday, with powdery snow lowering visibility and making the morning commute slick in places. Temperatures this morning are expected to remain in single digits before rebounding slightly, but will remain below-freezing throughout the day. The windchill will drop temperatures into the negatives, and officials warn those without proper protection would be at risk of frostbite and hypothermia.

Schools in Wood and surrounding counties closed Wednesday citing the low temperatures and the danger for students waiting outside for buses. Most after-school activities and events also were canceled Wednesday.

Photo by Michael Erb Snow blows off the roof of Jefferson Elementary Center on Plum Street in Parkersburg Wednesday. Single-digit temperatures and an early-morning snowfall led to schools throughout the valley canceling classes Wednesday. Temperatures will remain bitterly cold this morning, with many school systems pre-emptively canceling school.

Wood County Schools Superintendent Will Hosaflook said such closures are precautionary.

“When we cancel or delay school, the decision is based on our students’ and our personnel’s safety,” he said. “This week, we have experienced an anomaly in extreme windchill temperatures that jeopardize our students and employees. Therefore, the decision is based on keeping our students and employees safe.”

West Virginia University at Parkersburg texted students Wednesday afternoon, canceling classes until Friday and closing the college from 4 p.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. today. West Virginia University in Morgantown canceled classes from 1 p.m. Wednesday until 1 p.m. today. Ohio Valley University, Washington County Career Center and Mountain State College also canceled classes today.

The City of Parkersburg announced it was postponing trash collection this morning due to the cold and concerns over employee safety. Today’s routes will be collected Friday and Friday’s routes will be collected Saturday.

In Ohio, nearly all Washington County school systems were closed Wednesday. Ohio University in Athens canceled classes Wednesday citing dangerously low temperatures.

The deep freeze has affected all of Ohio and West Virginia as well as states throughout the midwest and eastern seaboard. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice issued a statewide warning Tuesday evening and emergency service officials have urged area residents to take precautions and bring pets inside.

Area shelters offered space for people to get out of the cold and the Lubeck Volunteer Fire Department announced it would act as a warming station from Wednesday morning through this morning.

“It is heartwarming to see all the warming stations put up in the community and shelters altering their policies to keep more people in out of the cold weather,” said Wood County Sheriff Steve Stephens.

Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks advised that those who know someone living alone should check on them to make sure they are OK and staying warm.

Neither sheriff had any weather-related accidents to report as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The National Weather Service forecast plunging temperatures from one of the coldest air masses in years. The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that allowed temperatures to plunge much farther south in North America than normal.

In some states, the United States Postal Service announced it would temporarily halt mail delivery due to safety concerns for its postal workers.

(Staff writer Madeline Scarborough and the Associated Press contributed to this story.)

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Wood County Warming Stations

* The Salvation Army, 570 5th St., Parkersburg.

* Latrobe Street Mission, 1725 Latrobe St., Parkersburg.

* House to Home, 8th and Avery streets, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (while it is cold).

* Lubeck VFD, 1340 Harris Hwy., 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. today.

Source: Wood County E911