Winter returns at last to Central Pa.

Tottering down College Avenue, wary walkers interchangeably stretched out their arms in a tightrope balancing act or tenaciously held onto the nearest storefront wall for support as they avoided slipping on ice-coated sidewalks last night.

Late afternoon yesterday, temperatures were just below freezing but were expected by evening to rise to just above freezing and stay there, said AccuWeather forecaster Paul Pastelok.

Precipitation yesterday afternoon consisted of light freezing rain and drizzle but was expected to build up by nightfall, Pastelok said.

"Snow could accumulate 1 to 3 inches," he said. "Things should wind down to flurries by (this) afternoon or evening."

Pastelok said AccuWeather anticipated the freezing rain to change to snow by this morning because of a storm moving its way up the East Coast, sending cold air to State College.

The State College Area School District ended classes early yesterday, dismissing elementary school students at 10 a.m. and secondary students at 10:40 a.m., said school receptionist Robin Capers.

Capers said a decision about today's classes would be made around 6 a.m. this morning.

Continuing and Distance Education classes were canceled last night, according to the Department of Public Information, but whether University classes for today would also be canceled was not determined last night. The Department of Public Information advised students to tune to WPSU-FM (91.5) for notification.

Several students said they would at least attempt to attend classes today.

"Considering I can't walk by myself (in this weather), going to class would probably endanger myself," said Lisa Schiffbauer (senior-landscape architecture). "But I will try to get there if it isn't canceled . . . I can ice skate to class!"

Other students did not want to start off a new semester by not going to class.

"I'll still go. You don't get 4.0s for skipping classes," said Joe Krygiel (senior-industrial engineering).

The Office of Physical Plant kept workers late last night, sending out three different road crews to spread salt and anti-skid products on roadways, parking lots and sidewalks, said Lloyd Rhoades, manager of central services for OPP.

"It's really watching and evaluating what happens," Rhoades said. "No two storms are alike. If it gets worse, we'll call people in and if it eases up, we'll send some home."

A major problem with this storm is that there are simply not enough resources available and so it becomes necessary to prioritize, he added.

"Folks might have to remember that we live in central Pennsylvania and we do get some weather," Rhoades said.

While clearing borough sidewalks is the responsibility of property owners, the borough salts icy roads when necessary, said Peter Marshall, State College Borough manager.

"People pretty much take care of the (sidewalk) problem, at least that has been our experience," Marshall said. "We take care of the roads and if it gets icy, they'll be salted."

Ron Chubb, roadways program coordinator of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in Bellefonte, reported that although the storm's effects may not last for days, the financial cost will be great.

"This will be a very costly storm for us. If it were just snow, we could just plow," he said. "But with sleet and freezing rain, as soon as the trucks are done salting their routes, it's time to go back out and salt again."