Many schools delayed as slick roads hamper morning commute

Light drizzle and flurries caused icy road conditions in parts of the Pittsburgh area Wednesday morning, causing many school districts to call two-hour delays.

A winter weather advisory for slippery road conditions, especially on untreated roads and elevated surfaces, was in effect until noon.

Shortly before 9 a.m., the National Weather Service said the freezing drizzle was transitioning over to light snow and flurries, from north to south. Drivers were urged to use caution as icy spots remained on roads, especially untreated secondary routes.

Car crashes were being reported, including one with multiple vehicles and one that overturned on the westbound Beaver Valley Expressway near the Route 18 interchange.

Many Pittsburgh area school districts called two-hour delays because of road conditions. They included Armstrong, Burrell, Butler Area, Deer Lakes, Ellwood City Area, Franklin Regional, Freeport Area, Hampton Township, Highlands, Karns City Area, Kiski Area, Mars Area, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Slippery Rock Area and South Butler.

Some schools that had initially called delays, including Apollo-Ridge and Leechburg, later decided to close for the day.

For a complete list of current delays and closings, visit WPXI-TV.

Some more significant snow will come Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Redmond said. Between 1 and 2 inches is expected, starting around 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday and ending by the Friday morning rush hour.

As for snow on Saturday, Redmond said meteorologists will have a better handle on just what will happen over the next couple of days.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty with that. There’s no way to make a solid forecast at this point,” he said. “We’re going to have some snow — the question is how much.”

Which track the storm takes will determine how much snow falls. If it goes further north, that will mean warmer temperatures, more rain and less snow; further south means colder, less rain and more snow.

Brian Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BCRittmeyer.