PLATTSBURGH — Wondering just how cold it was early Friday?

Well, it busted a record low that had held since 1957.

John Hart of Peru, who serves as a Skywatch spotter for the National Weather Service, said the low Friday morning for the Plattsburgh area was minus 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hart, who reports data to the Weather Service, holds all the records that used to be kept at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, dating back to 1955.

The low reported Friday broke the previous cold mark of minus 23 degrees, set on Jan. 15, 1957, he said.

The bitter cold caused cancellation of classes at Saranac Central School.

"Most of the buses wouldn't start," said Linda Tedford, who is secretary to the superintendent.

"Some of them started, but they wouldn't stay running. We didn't want to put the kids on them."

The frigid temperatures knocked out some traffic lights, too. State Police reported that some lights in the Village of Rouses Point and on Route 3 near Consumer Square in Plattsburgh were malfunctioning Friday morning.

A slight bit of relief is expected today. Temperatures are expected to soar all the way to 12 degrees.