Pittsburgh officials urge residents to stay home with icy, snowy conditions on the way

Pittsburgh officials said crews are prepared to begin clearing roads during the anticipated winter storm, though they urged residents to stay off the roads if possible.

Rain that began Wednesday night is expected to transition to ice and snow Thursday and into Friday. Temperatures are expected to be below freezing throughout the winter event, with temperatures in the single digits Saturday.

Department of Public Works crews began shifts at 6 p.m. Wednesday in anticipation of the storm. They’ll work throughout the day Thursday and overnight into Friday to treat and clear streets.

Still, Pittsburgh officials warned that commuters should expect difficult road conditions. Crews cannot pretreat roads because of the rain preceding snow and ice.

The Department of Public Works crews was expected to have about 60 trucks operating during the day Thursday.

Park crews will be tasked with hand-clearing steps, sidewalks and bridges.

Because of the icy conditions, the Department of Public Works response may be slower than usual. Trucks may need to back up steep streets to treat them, rather than traveling downhill. Though the measure is meant to ensure the drivers’ safety, it may take longer to clear roads.

The Department of Public Works advised all drivers to avoid travel during the winter storm as much as possible, urging those who can work from home to do so.

“Throughout this winter weather event, I want to urge all Pittsburghers to stay home if possible,” Mayor Ed Gainey said. “The forecasted freezing rain, then ice, then snow is the worst combination for road conditions.”

People who must drive should drive slowly and leave space for salt trucks, Gainey said.

The mayor encouraged all city employees to work from home.

He also reminded residents that they are responsible for clearing sidewalks in front of their homes.

Environmental Services will suspend garbage collection Friday out of concern for worker safety. Those services are rescheduled for Saturday. Any changes to Thursday’s services will be posted on the city’s social media platforms.

The city also closed steep portions of several streets beginning Thursday morning. The roads — including Capitol Avenue, Newett Street, Copperfield Street, South Negley Avenue, Suffolk Street and Rialto Street — will reopen when weather conditions allow.