Baby, it’s cold outside –– and Friday is forecast to be bitter with wind chill values expected to be as low as negative 25.

And with the cold comes school delays and closings –– and the possibility of water main breaks.

On Wednesday morning, Bradford Area School District Superintendent Katy Pude decided to delay school operations by two hours.

“I prefer to wait until morning to make any decisions concerning delays or closures because forecasts can change overnight,” she said. “(Tuesday) was bitterly cold, but a two-hour delay would have put our kids into a much colder wind chill with westerly wind speeds increasing.”

Wednesday’s delay resulted in Bradford area students being in the positive temperatures rather than the negative, she said.

“(Wednesday’s) delay was because of the cold temperatures at the time that the students would be waiting for buses and the fact that the morning got progressively warmer,” she said.

Meanwhile, today is projected to be mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers, mainly after 8 a.m. and a high near 14 degrees and wind chill values as low as negative 5, according to the National Weather Service.

AccuWeather has reported that a major storm will track close enough to the East Coast of the United States to bring everything from snow and ice to blizzard conditions and frigid winds today.

“The storm is projected to undergo rapid strengthening, referred to as bombogenesis. The storm will affect areas from Florida to Maine and Atlantic Canada,” Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist wrote on AccuWeather.com.

Minor airline delays from snow showers are possibilities in the Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati airports, he said.

“Whether a few flakes of snow or a debilitating snowstorm occurs in this western fringe will depend on the exact track of the storm and how quickly moisture is thrown westward as the storm strengthens,” Sosnowski said.

Snow showers are likely Friday, mainly before 8 a.m., with a high near 3 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chill values are expected to be as low as negative 25, the weather service reports.

“It is very difficult to make these (delay or closing) decisions with two bus runs and I need to make the call by 5:30 a.m.,” Pude said.  “When it comes to snow, many of the same issues are present. Some areas may receive more snow than others and a delay may put one of our bus runs into harm’s way. Also, (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) and the many different townships do not have the same plowing schedules or manpower.”

She admits that her decisions are never perfect but are put together thoughtfully with the safety of students and staff at the forefront.

“A general rule of thumb is 0 degrees and a negative 20 wind chill prompts delay or cancellation,” Pude said. “My advice to parents is to ensure that students are properly clothed for the cold weather and to keep students indoors until anticipated bus arrival times.”

Bradford City Water Authority executive director Steve Disney also carries concern over the recent cold snap –– “both the excessive duration of days in which the temperatures have been below freezing and the lack of snow cover,” he said. “Snow cover will act as a blanket to help protect the ground, without adequate snow cover the frost is able to drive deep below the surface causing many issues.”

Recent frigid temperatures brought a 3-inch main break on Hemlock Street and a 6-inch main break on Emery Avenue, he said.

The big issue the authority has had is frozen house service lines and meters, Disney said.

“If customers have had issues in the past with their house service lines freezing, it would be prudent for them to turn their cold water taps on, and run a little stream of water at all times during these extremely cold periods…” Disney said. “Customers that experience freeze ups on their house service lines need to ensure the line is installed correctly and at the proper depth.”