HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf today urged drivers in Pennsylvania to use caution with winter weather expected to impact several areas of the state through tonight and Monday morning’s rush hour commute.
“Winter weather beginning tonight and continuing through tomorrow morning’s rush hour commute is expected to affect the condition of roads in multiple areas across Pennsylvania,” said Wolf.
“I am working closely with PEMA and PennDOT to monitor the situation and we are prepared to send resources wherever necessary. I am urging drivers to stay off the roads if possible and to use extreme caution when traveling especially when heading to work tomorrow.”
Wolf also advised Pennsylvanians to keep on top of weather forecasts and conditions in their area tonight as they travel for Super Bowl-related events.
PennDOT has 2,250 trucks, 235 rental trucks and 200 additional trucks on stand-by and 5,400 equipment operators to keep roads passable during storms. In addition, PennDOT has 539,421 tons of salt on hand. So far this winter, PennDOT has used 503,860 tons of salt, compared to its five-year average usage to date of 487,530 tons.
PennDOT started preparations for the Sunday-Monday storm on Friday, with consultation with weather forecasters and staff in each of its 11 engineering districts.
Forecasts show Pennsylvania will see the full range of winter’s might, from possibly 12 inches in the Erie area, to 6 to 12 inches across the northern tier, 3 to 6 inches through the central regions and 1 to 3 inches in the southeast and southwest.
”Our emergency management and PennDOT teams are mobilized and monitoring conditions, and PennDOT crews were dispatched this afternoon to begin their patrols and start plowing operations during the day and overnight,” Wolf said.
During storms, interstates and expressways are PennDOT’s primary focus and equipment maybe redirected to these routes during significant winter events. The heavier the precipitation, the longer it takes trucks to complete their snow routes. In some cases, motorists may find deeper accumulations on less traveled routes and should adjust their driving for those conditions. When snow is falling, even the busiest routes will have some snow cover.
Drivers can see road conditions and other real time travel information by dialing 511 or visiting www.511PA.com. 511Pa is also available through a smartphone application for IPhone and Android devices.
See below for further information regarding weather forecasts from the National Weather Service and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency:
National Weather Service State College: A winter storm will bring widespread snow followed by a wintry mix to central Pennsylvania through Monday morning, followed by bitterly cold wind chills. Weather Hazards include snow and ice accumulation, followed by bitter cold. Steadiest precipitation will fall this evening into the overnight. Temperatures will drop through the day on Monday, along with an increasingly blustery northwest wind. This will cause hazardous travel conditions and travel delays into Monday morning. Expect bitter cold later Monday into early Tuesday.
National Weather Service Cleveland: Storm is tracking farther north than expected. There will be more mixed precipitation expected around Route 30 – a little warmer and a little less snow (3-5 inches), some sleet and freezing rain still possible. Blowing and drifting snow will still be significant with whiteout conditions expected from Norwalk to Findlay northwest including Toledo by tonight. Also expect significant blowing/drifting near the Lake Erie lakeshore.
National Weather Service Binghamton: We emphasize that a mix with freezing rain and sleet over parts of northeast Pennsylvania, including the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area may cut down on snowfall totals. Snowfall rates of 1” to 2” per hour from late this evening through midday Monday. Dangerous travel conditions due to low visibility and slippery roads. Light icing will be possible over parts of northeast Pennsylvania late tonight into Monday morning
National Weather Service Pittsburgh: Although temperatures will be falling late tonight and Monday morning, there is little to no threat of below zero temperatures or wind chills during that time. Tuesday morning lows will be right around zero however. Snow will be the bigger issue, as Jefferson County is still under a Winter Storm Warning through noon Monday. We are still forecasting a storm total of 6 to 8 inches, although I would not be surprised if that ends up being a touch high, as a wintry mix of precipitation types is expected overnight. Precipitation is expected to change back to snow by around 10 a.m. Monday morning, with modest additional accumulation into the afternoon.
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ/ Philadelphia: A winter storm is expected to impact the region late today through Monday. Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for northern and northwestern portions of the region. Winter weather advisories have been issued for far southeastern Pennsylvania. Models continue to shift the low pressure system track farther north. This is modeling warmer air across the region at the surface and just above it late tonight and Monday. Because of this, mixed precipitation (rain/snow/sleet/freezing rain) is expected, especially south of I-80. The highest snow totals continue to be pushed farther north. The greatest threat for freezing rain still exists across portions of southeast Pennsylvania early Monday morning. A quick changeover from snow to freezing rain to rain is expected across northeast Maryland and the Philadelphia Metro area into southern NJ. The Monday morning and evening commutes will be adversely affected. Very cold air will filter back into the region behind this system on Tuesday.
Monitor the latest information on the National Weather Service website at www.weather.gov.