More snow on the way for Western Pa., which has already seen twice as much as usual

More than twice as much snow as usual has dropped on the Pittsburgh region this year, and more is on the way.

The National Weather Service station in Moon recorded 52 inches of snow between Dec. 1 and Feb. 16. In an average year, the region receives 25.6 inches of snow in that time. Light snow will continue to fall for the next few days, NWS meteorologist Myranda Fullerton said.

“We’ve got light snow overspreading the region right before daybreak (Thursday) and continuing through Friday morning,” she said.

NWS issued a winter weather advisory shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday which will last through 7 a.m. Friday morning, with 3 to 5 inches of snow forecast for southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

Snow is expected to begin falling around midnight, according to NWS meteorologists.

Following the advisory, PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will implement Tier 1 truck restrictions starting in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Colder air means residents should not expect a repeat of this week’s winter storm in which snow alternated with freezing rain.

“We’re not expecting what we saw last time with the widespread freezing rain event,” Fullerton said. “This looks to be more of a snow event, with a potential for some mix south and east of Pittsburgh.”

And while some Westmoreland County communities at higher elevations were initially told to brace for heavier snowfall, all of Westmoreland County is currently under the winter weather advisory issued Wednesday afternoon.

Temperatures will remain low this week, with highs in the 20s and low 30s, but warmer weather is on the way, according to Fullerton. “By next Wednesday in our forecast we’ve got highs right around 40 degrees, so that gives us some hope,” she said.

This winter’s snowfall includes the whitest Christmas the region has ever seen, with about 4 inches of snowfall on Christmas Day breaking a record that had stood since 1890.

The heavy snowfall has created its fair share of problems, with numerous Pittsburgh residents this year complaining to officials about delayed plowing and salting.