Ice storm warning issued for areas north, east of Pittsburgh

The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning and a winter weather advisory for parts of Western Pennsylvania for Wednesday night and Thursday.

The alerts are scheduled to start at 10 p.m. Wednesday and last through 10 p.m. Thursday.

Ice up to a half-inch is expected to accumulate across the higher elevations of the Allegheny Mountains from northern West Virginia north through Jefferson County, the weather service said.

The area includes eastern Fayette and Westmoreland counties, and all of Indiana and Jefferson counties.

An ice warning means that power outages and tree damage are likely and travel could be nearly impossible, the weather service said.

No big changes to the ice storm forecast. If you're in an area expecting ice/freezing rain, expect impacts to the morning commute. Areas expecting higher amounts (higher elevations) should plan for power outages and significant impacts to travel late tonight through Thu morning. pic.twitter.com/riiBErhvfn

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) December 15, 2022

The winter weather advisory covers several counties north of Allegheny County, including Butler, Armstrong, Mercer, Venango and Clarion. A trace to a quarter-inch of ice is expected in those areas.

Lower areas north of Pittsburgh in the advisory area will also get freezing rain resulting in a glaze on surfaces, but not as much as areas to the east, the weather service said.

Ice storm and winter storm warnings are in effect for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic starting tonight. We anticipate a significant corridor of icing through the spine of the Appalachians. Charge your devices and prepare for outages now! pic.twitter.com/7WJBrE9Ipr

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) December 14, 2022

The Pittsburgh metropolitan area may get a light, “short-lived” glaze of ice around 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., according to the weather service.

Drivers are advised to use extreme caution if traveling late Wednesday night or Thursday.