Winter storm to bring nearly a foot of snow to parts of Western Pennsylvania

Parts of Western Pennsylvania could see nearly a foot of snow in a winter storm getting underway Sunday afternoon and state officials urged citizens to stay home.

Meteorologist Lee Hendricks at the National Weather Service in Moon said Sunday morning that the storm’s track shifted a bit and parts of Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties could see around 11 inches of snow.

“We’re going to be sitting pretty much just under a foot of snow here for much of the region,” Hendricks said.

Snow is expected to start between 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday. The heaviest snowfall could come between 9 p.m. Sunday and 3 a.m. Monday.

“We’ll have some periods where we’re getting 1 to 2 inches an hour,” he said.

Here are the most updated snowfall totals for the winter storm arriving later today. The main change in the totals was to increase amounts in the northwest for the placement of the heavy snowfall band. There is no change to the Winter Storm Warnings. https://t.co/cxojC5oJ95 pic.twitter.com/zMg8fpLDtg

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) January 16, 2022

Snow totals are expected to be a bit less east of Pittsburgh, with 7.5 inches in both Indiana and Latrobe and around 10 inches in Uniontown.

“If you don’t need to travel during the high impact times, please consider changing your travel plans and let the road crews do their job without a lot of other cars that don’t need to be on the road,” said Jeff Thomas, executive deputy director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

The weather service on Saturday issued a winter storm warning from 1 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Monday. The ending time coincides with the expected conclusion of continuous snow, though flurries may pop up afterwards, Hendricks said.

But that doesn’t mean the end of winter weather. Monday’s high temperatures will be in the upper 20s with winds between 15 and 20 mph. That combination, plus the chance of wind gusts up to 35 mph, will result in frigid wind chills while the region digs out from the storm, he said.

Those temperatures will continue into Tuesday.

The cold adds another wrinkle to the storm clean up, said Pennsylvania Turnpike Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton. Road surfaces are already frozen.

“As soon as this snowfall starts, it’s going to start impacting traffic immediately,” he said. “We’re not going to get a grace period with this storm. We ask for your full cooperation … especially in the western part of the state.”

Related:

• National Weather Service issues winter storm warning for region
• Pittsburgh officials say snow response will be better ahead of Sunday storm
• Meteorologists say predicting this particular storm is tricky stuff

PennDOT and public works departments around the region have been in preparation mode for the last few days. Many have said they’ll be staffed around the clock to pretreat and clear roads.

The agency is prioritizing the clearing of high-traffic roads and those that lead to health care facilities, said PennDOT Acting Secretary Melissa Batula.

“Keep in mind, even once the storm itself does move out, there’s lots of work that still has to be done and our crews will remain out,” she said.

HOV lanes on the Parkway North were closed Friday until further notice. Vehicle restrictions for major highways around the state started at 3 p.m. Sunday in some areas. The restrictions prohibit certain types of vehicles from traveling on heavily trafficked roads, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike and interstates 70 and 79.

The speed limit is reduced to 45 mph on those roads. Details about road closures, restrictions or weather conditions is available at 511pa.com.

“We urge Pennsylvanians and visitors to stay in and stay warm during the storm and please only travel if absolutely necessary,” said state police Lt. Adam Reed.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the area. The crews at PIT are ready for the winter weather. If you have travel plans, be sure to check with your airline for any delays or cancellations. pic.twitter.com/4UlnWULVNC

— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) January 16, 2022