Forecast: Storm could blanket Western Pa. with 4 inches of snow by Wednesday

A storm expected to strike Tuesday night could blanket parts of Western Pennsylvania and neighboring states with more than 4 inches of snow by Wednesday, forecasters said.

Snow and ice accumulation could cause dangerous travel conditions from Oklahoma to the Northeast — including Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland — while several inches of heavy rain threaten to cause flooding in southern states, the National Weather Service said.

A winter storm will bring a threat for heavy snow and ice from Oklahoma across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast U.S. Tuesday through Wednesday. Dangerous travel likely. Several inches of heavy rain will threaten flooding over the southern states. pic.twitter.com/wbtdfmE75o

— NWS (@NWS) February 18, 2019

Between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 p.m. Wednesday, the city of Pittsburgh has a 29 percent chance of getting more than 4 inches of snow, compared to a 14 percent chance further north in Butler and a 17 percent chance in Kittanning, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Moon.

“Snow will quickly change over to a wintry mix followed by rain in the late afternoon (Wednesday),” the NWS said.

Here are the chances of getting 4 inches of snow or more for this next system (Wednesday). More graphics for snow probability can be found here: https://t.co/cxojC578hx pic.twitter.com/20h6mlo57f

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) February 19, 2019

The weather service gives Latrobe a 35 percent chance of recording more than 4 inches of snowfall.

In Uniontown, the chance of 4-plus inches of snow jumps to 39 percent, and in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, there’s a 60 percent chance, according to the NWS.

Meteorologists predict that portions of Central Pennsylvania could get as much as 7 inches of snow.

At the moment, this is what we are expecting for snowfall totals across our area for Wednesday. Snow will quickly change over to a wintry mix followed by rain in the late afternoon. Please stay tuned for further updates. pic.twitter.com/EPaxKxsbR1

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) February 18, 2019

The NWS issued winter storm watches for several parts of the Northeast starting late Tuesday. A winter storm watch means “there is potential for significant snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel.”

In parts of northeast and southeastern West Virginia, such as Summersville and Webster Springs, the storm could dump up to 5 inches of snow and “travel could be nearly impossible” amid icy, hazardous conditions, the NWS said.