O&R Prepares to Assign Additional Crews as Frigid Weather Arrives

Due to the extreme cold weather predicted for tonight through Saturday, O&R plans to field extra gas and electric crews during that period to address any service issues that arise on the electric and gas systems.

Out of an abundance of caution, O&R also plans to activate extra Customer Service staff tonight through Saturday to provide additional coverage.

An arctic cold front is forecast to spread through the region this morning into Saturday. This frigid front’s temperatures will rival those of the coldest days so far this winter with temperatures 15 to 25 degrees below normal for today and Saturday.

Today’s evening low will range from 4 to 10 degrees. Saturday morning’s low is due to be between minus 3 degrees and 5 degrees. The afternoon high is expected to rise to from between 23 degrees and 28 degrees.

Winds will become breezy behind the frontal passage, peaking between 7 a.m. today through after midnight Saturday. Sustained winds during this period will range from 10 mph to 20 mph with gusts from 30 mph to 40 mph. After midnight to noon Saturday, sustained winds will range from 10 mph to 20 mph with gusts of 30 mph.

The cold spell will be short-lived. By Sunday, clouds will gather and temperatures will rebound to the mid-40s by the afternoon.

O&R gas and electric facilities are designed to withstand extreme temperatures. And O&R’s cold weather operations preparations, including deploying more gas and electric crews and Customer Service representatives for tonight through Saturday, have been extensive.