City and county take steps to speed up Pittsburgh snow removal

Driving the news: City and county officials declared states of emergency Monday to help speed up snow removal.

• Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor said the declaration allows the city to hire private contractors to help Department of Public Works vehicles clear snow.
• Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said the county declaration frees up resources and streamlines procedures to make coordination on snow removal easier.

Stunning stat: 37 plows in the city of Pittsburgh broke down during snow removal efforts Monday, said O'Connor.

• The city has 95 vehicles total.
• City Council has long decried a lack of investment in the city's public works fleet — as well as its ambulances and fire trucks.

State of play: City garbage collection has been canceled this week for residents with Monday and Tuesday pickups. Later days will see their collection delayed by two days, said O'Connor.

• Pittsburgh Public Schools and many other school districts will have remote learning Tuesday. Check here for updates on your school district.

What's next: Temperatures will remain below freezing for at least the next several days, said National Weather Service meteorologist Fred McMullen during a Monday briefing.

• There is a chance to see some record lows this week, with negative temperatures in the forecast, he said.
• That means residents should take steps to avoid burst pipes and other infrastructure failures that can occur with frigid temperatures, McMullen said.

The bottom line: It's probably best to stay home again Tuesday if you don't have to leave the house.