Snowstorm's effects felt throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond

When Latrobe wrestling coach Mark Mears flew with his team to Colorado to take on the 20th-ranked team in the nation, he figured they’d be back in time to watch the Steelers game Sunday night.

In a thrilling upset, the Wildcats beat the powerhouse Pomona Panthers, 34-33.

But now they’re stuck across the country because Mother Nature was expected to dump up to a foot of snow across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“If anything, we thought we’d be stuck because of winter weather in Colorado,” Mears said. “It’s 60 degrees and sunny here.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) was calling for snow to begin late Sunday in Southwestern Pennsylvania. By about 7 p.m., steady snow was falling throughout the Pittsburgh region amid temperatures in the mid-20s.

By Monday morning, several inches of snow were reported across the region with snowfall expected to continue throughout the day.

According to David Shallenberger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, snowfall tapered off overnight after warm air moved into the region, causing snow to turn into freezing rain. The weather quickly changed around midnight, when heavier bursts of snow were reported across the state.

A band remained over Southwestern Pennsylvania around 5 a.m., dropping an inch of snow per hour.

Totals from overnight were not yet known, but residents in Monessen woke up to around 4 inches of snow, while the NWS office saw around 6 inches, Shallenberger said.

Additional accumulation will occur throughout the day Monday.

According to the National Weather Service, the Pittsburgh region could see 2-3 inches in additional snow while parts of Westmoreland County could see an additional 3-4 inches.

Our last image contained the wrong data - here are the expected remaining snowfall totals through 7 PM tonight.

If you must travel this morning, leave plenty of extra time, space, and patience. The roads are treacherous. pic.twitter.com/ML0YQwuIGk

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) January 17, 2022

“It’s pretty early but I suspect that we’ll start to get a lot of those higher snowfall totals coming in from places up north, too,” Shallenberger said.

If you are starting to see more than an inch of snow out there, please let us know! https://t.co/Q8RdC8vjD9

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) January 16, 2022

Shortly after noon on Monday, PennDOT lifted temporary restrictions for larger vehicles on I-70 in Westmoreland County. School buses, commercial buses, motorcoaches, motorcycles, RVs/motor homes and passenger vehicles with trailers were prohibited. Speed-limit restrictions were similarly lifted for I-70 along with I-79 in Washington and Greene counties.

Reduced speeds at 45 mph remain in effect for the Parkway East, West and North and I-579.

“Although PennDOT crews are treating roadways, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow,” the agency said in a news release.

PennDOT will continue to treat roadways throughout the storm until snow stops and roads are clear.

PennDOT Restricts Certain Vehicles on Several Roadways in Pittsburgh Region Due to Snow Event

Check https://t.co/jqxeXQmt23 for most recent updates.
Motorists can also sign up for alerts on the 511 website.

— Pgh Emergency Management & Homeland Security (@PittsburghOEMHS) January 16, 2022

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office issued a plea for motorists to avoid travel, if possible.

“This is a complex storm that will make travel difficult, if not downright treacherous, at times during the overnight hours and into Monday morning,” said state Emergency Management Agency Executive Deputy Director Jeff Thomas.

Snow is expected to be heaviest in the western half of the state, with more rain and sleet expected toward the east.

The weather service on Saturday issued a winter storm warning from 1 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Monday.

Flurries still could pop up afterward, Hendricks said.

Related

• Winter storm to bring nearly a foot of snow to parts of Western Pennsylvania
• Meteorologists say predicting this particular storm is tricky stuff
• Snow, ice blasts through South with powerful winter storm

On Monday, the high temperature is expected to be in the upper-20s with frigid windchill temperatures.

With most schools already off Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, several other services and programs were canceled in advance of the expected snow totals.

Lower Burrell Meals on Wheels announced it would be closed Monday, as did the Murrysville Senior Center and the National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Several municipalities posted on their websites garbage collection would be delayed.

Port Authority buses are also delayed by about an hour. In addition, buses are remaining on main roads after several became stuck on side streets due to the weather. Buses are unable to service parts of Alcoma, Bon Air, Braddock Hills and Polish Hill.

Please Be Advised:

*All buses are running approximately 1 hour late

* Buses are staying on main roads only

* There are buses stuck system wide on several side streets

* Buses are unable to service portions of:
Alcoma
Bon Air
Braddock Hills
Polish Hill

— Port Authority Alerts (@PghTransitAlert) January 17, 2022

Due to pending inclement weather, the National Aviary will close at 3 pm Sunday, January 16. We will remained closed until Wednesday, January 19. pic.twitter.com/hfxduz1cDU

— National Aviary (@National_Aviary) January 16, 2022

Across Pittsburgh, Mayor Ed Gainey guaranteed a series of actions to more readily handle the snow.

City crews hit the road mid-afternoon to begin preparations. Eighty plows were primed to spread more than 20,000 tons of salt. Another task force of 80 employees was set to clear steps, sidewalks and bridges.

CommUnity. The Pittsburgh Snow Tracker App is LIVE. I am monitoring the weather with my team at this time and will be out in Division 2 tonight. For more information, please check https://t.co/JmwwO0e9pq.

— Ed Gainey (@gainey_ed) January 16, 2022

Gainey also posted to Twitter a link to the Pittsburgh Snow Tracker app, with which people can get the latest information on which streets have been treated.

As for Mears and his 16 wrestlers, they are waiting out the delay in Colorado and hope to be home by Tuesday. The coach said he is appreciative of the chaperones, the Pomona team for its generosity — they lent a bus so Mears could take his players to sight-see — and to the Latrobe School Board for “stepping up and taking care of the kids, making sure they are safe and they have money for food.”

“This is teaching the kids how to act in adversity,” Mears said. “They’re worried about getting home for their match on Wednesday and not having worked out. I just told them, ‘Don’t worry about what you can’t control.’ ”