Pinellas County Friday School Decision Announced as Hurricane Matthew Approaches

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County school kids hoping for a long weekend courtesy of Hurricane Matthew are in luck. The school district announced Thursday that classes are canceled on Friday, Oct. 7.

“In the interest of safety for students, employees and families, all Pinellas County Schools and school district offices will be closed on Friday, Oct. 7,” the county announced on its website Thursday afternoon.

School activities for Thursday, Oct. 6 are still on unless an individual school's principal announces otherwise, the district said. After-school activities Friday are canceled.

• Keep up with Hurricane Matthew: Download the new Patch news app for real-time notifications.

As of the National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. Oct. 6 update, Hurricane Matthew was positioned about 180 miles south east of West Palm Beach, Florida. The storm's sustained winds were 140 mph, a significant rise from the 125 mph winds reported earlier in the day.

“Matthew is a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale,” the hurricane center’s report said. "Some additional strengthening is possible, and Matthew should remain a Category 4 hurricane while it approaches the Florida coast."

Hurricane-force winds extended out up to 60 miles Thursday morning. Tropical-storm force winds extended out 160 miles, forecasters said.

On its current projected path, Matthew could make landfall somewhere along Florida’s east coast as a major hurricane. While the storm's outer bands were arriving near Florida Thursday morning, forecasters do not expect it to clear the Sunshine State until Friday afternoon or evening.

The storm’s possible track shifted to the east, but much of the Sunshine State remained under a hurricane warning. In the Tampa Bay area and along most of the west coast, a tropical storm watch is in place. A warning means conditions are likely within a designated area, generally within 48 hours. A watch means conditions are possible within a designated area. Tropical storm warnings had also gone up in from the Anclote River to the Suwanee River.

Image via Shutterstock