Throughout the continental 48 states, the 2011-12 winter has been oddly mild. While past winters in Pennsylvania and other hardy winter regions have delivered a few warm, sunny days each year like previews of spring, they usually have been surrounded by more seasonally appropriate temperatures, freezing and below. This year it seemed that very cold days were the minority, and most states had little snow. (more)
In the event of snow, severe storms or other emergencies, official word of Penn State New Kensington's closing or class delays can be received via text message and on the campus' website.
Cell phone users who subscribe to PSUTXT, Penn State's text message alert system, will receive a text message when incidents occur that may impact the campus community. Subscription to PSUTXT is free, although individual cell phone carriers may charge for text messaging.
To subscribe to PSUTXT, visit http://live.psu.edu/psutxt online and follow the instructions at the bottom of the page under the PSUTXT heading.
Weather and emergency information also is available under the "News and Events" section on the campus homepage. When there is breaking news, an alert icon will appear in the headlines box along with general information about the nature of the emergency. Clicking on the icon provides detailed information. (more)
Beaver Stadium grass parking lots for today's Penn State-Illinois game are now closed to further vehicles because of accumulating snow. Vehicles already parked in grass lots will not be required to move. Visitors with grass lot parking passes will be redirected to paved lots with free shuttle service to and from the stadium throughout the day. Snow has been falling in Centre County for several hours and is expected to continue throughout the afternoon, with accumulations of 4-8 inches expected. (more)
In response to forecasts calling for up to eight inches of snow in the State College, Pa., area beginning tonight (Oct. 28) and continuing into Saturday (Oct. 29), Penn State has announced changes to parking around Beaver Stadium and on campus for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game vs. Illinois. Weather conditions could take 2,500 or more parking spaces off line for the game. Patrons who normally park cars and RVs in reserved, paved lots are less likely to be impacted. (more)
When the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee dumped more rain on the already saturated Northeast U.S., the result was the Susquehanna River's worst flooding in nearly 40 years. Given that floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States, could we be doing more to predict them and safeguard flood-prone communities? (more)
Heavy rain in the region, combined with forecasts for more of the same over the next few days, have Penn State officials planning for a number of changes for gameday parking and traffic on Saturday, Sept. 10, when the Nittany Lions take on Alabama at 3:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium. Adverse weather, expected to continue until Saturday, has caused some flooding in the region and has saturated fields that are generally used for vehicle parking during Penn State home football games. (more)
As summer sets in and the end of the school year approaches, now is the perfect time to prepare for learning and fun at Penn State's Summer Youth Camps. Starting in June, Penn State faculty, staff and graduate students will lead several camps on the University Park campus that can help children make new friends, discover exciting things and develop their skills in a structured environment. (more)
University Park, Pa. - The second part of a winter storm that delayed until Thursday (Feb. 3) a visit to Penn State's University Park campus by President Barack Obama is bearing down on the region, and expected to dump an icy mix of snow and rain overnight. The Penn State community should check WPSU-FM, Penn State Live and Penn State Facebook -- all official sources for weather-related delay or cancellation advisories at University Park. In addition, advisories will be sent directly to cell phones via PSUTXT. (more)
More winter weather is on the way, and although it's not supposed to be a large storm that hits the region surrounding Penn State's University Park campus, there is potential for sleet and ice mixing in with up to 2 inches of snow. Penn State's Office of Physical Plant has been monitoring the storm, and is ready to act. Their plan currently is to have two salt trucks deployed on campus roads by 4 a.m. The entire landscape crew will report to campus by 5 a.m. to begin clearing campus sidewalks, while janitorial crews will be working around the clock to remove snow at building entrances. (more)
The weather may be clear on the University Park campus, but other parts of Pennsylvania and surrounding states -- particularly to the west and north -- are seeing heavy snowfalls, high winds and low visibility, making for hazardous driving conditions. Several areas are under winter weather advisories. Before leaving University Park for winter break, students and others are urged to consult the National Weather Service and PennDOT websites at http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ctp/ and http://www.511pa.com/ for the latest forecasts and travel advisories. (more)
