Outside his parents’ Oakland Terrace house Wednesday morning, 24-year-old Everett Phillips was philosophical about having to shovel snow.

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” he said.

As sunny weather in the mid-to-high 30s whittled piles of snow and ice, turning them into rivulets, Phillips was one of many citizens clearing driveways, sidewalks and parking lots across the city.

At the 1201 N. Main St. strip mall, Eddy Blaylock and Larry Wehr labored shoveling a path from a parked truck to the unit where Starbucks used to be. They’re putting in a tanning salon there. “We’ve got materials coming in, so we’ve got to make a pathway,” Wehr said.

But as Suffolk dug out from between 4 ½ and 5 inches of snow Monday afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service was forecasting a 50-50 chance of fresh accumulations up to half an inch Wednesday evening. It would accompany the arrival of an artic front set to lower temperatures well into lower-single-digit territory, with wind chills down to -8, Thursday night.

In fact, it was expected to be Suffolk’s coldest Feb. 19 since at least 1945, when volunteers began collecting data for the National Weather Service at Lake Kilby.

The treacherous road conditions away from the primaries, frigid forecast and expectations of refreezing prompted officials to close public schools Thursday for the third day running, according to Suffolk Public Schools spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw.

“This day will have to be made up,” Bradshaw wrote in an email. “A decision is pending on whether the calendar will be changed to accommodate a different make-up schedule. As it now stands, the remaining make-up days on the approved calendar are Memorial Day and a Saturday.”

An announcement on the school’s website said Nansemond-Suffolk Academy would also close Thursday.

Also, Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia canceled transportation and food services for Thursday at the East Suffolk Recreation Center.

According to spokeswoman Diana Klink, the city’s Public Works department was sustaining its efforts to combat the icy conditions. After transitioning to neighborhood streets where accessibility would permit, crews were also treating and plowing some trouble spots on primary routes again.

Ahead of Wednesday’s chance of additional snow, three brine crews were dispatched with an extra 3,000 gallons of solution for many primaries and bridges, making the most of the preceding sunshine, Klink stated.

After neighbors rescued a boy Tuesday when he fell through after walking onto a frozen retention pond in Virginia Beach, Klink, on behalf of Suffolk Police, advised of the inherent danger of such actions.

“It is dangerous to try to venture out onto what appears to be a frozen body of water as the ice is not thick enough to support the weight of even a small child,” according to Klink. “Parents and care providers are advised to warn their children not to play on or near the ice.”

Anyone who witnesses an individual fall through the ice is advised to call 911. “Do not attempt to go onto the ice to attempt a rescue as you may become a victim as well,” Klink stated. “You should try to reach the victim with a rope, rolled blanket, pole or other object until rescue crews arrive.”

Police also warned against leaving an unattended vehicle running to warm it up, citing a theft risk, and urged motorists to be extra careful on the road with the threat of re-icing. Slow down, drive smoothly, do not tailgate and be extra vigilant, was the message.