Snow falling in Western Pa., some regions may see ‘heaviest snowfall in a decade’

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory in effect for the Pittsburgh metro area until 7 p.m. Monday.

Meteorologists say they are expecting 2 to 4 inches of snow to fall in Pittsburgh but as many as 9 inches in counties directly to the south of Allegheny County and into West Virginia.

"There's going to be a really sharp gradient where we'll have the higher [snow totals] further south and the lower values further north," says Matt Brudy, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. "Over a short distance, you may see a drastic difference of maybe an an inch to two, to maybe five to six inches."

The weather service says the advisory could become a winter storm warning, should the storm track further north.

Many area school districts, including Pittsburgh Public Schools, will be closed Monday, including transportation and administrative offices.

The Allegheny County Department of Public Works expected snow to begin falling overnight, but that accumulation totals were difficult to predict with this storm, however, because of low-level dry air.

As a result, the county will deploy 28 salt trucks when snow starts to fall and will plow and treat roads with salt and liquid calcium chloride. (You can learn which entity is responsible for removing snow from a specific roadway by visiting Who Plows My Road.)

County officials are cautioning drivers — especially morning commuters — to proceed cautiously as snow will likely accumulate on roadways, especially during morning rush hour.

Pittsburgh officials offered similar warnings for commuters and asked motorists to avoid parking on city roads and streets to make it easier for crews to maneuver trucks while treating them. The city Department of Public Works said it will deploy 60 trucks to pre-treat roadways beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday and will add 10 more trucks to plow and treat roads starting at 6 a.m. Monday.

DPW crews will prioritize clearing streets that provide access to hospitals, emergency routes, and public safety facilities, city officials said. In a statement, Mayor Ed Gainey asked residents to stay inside if possible.

As a precaution, DPW also plans to close several hilly roads and streets when snow begins to fall, including Capitol Avenue, Newett Street, Copperfield Street, South Negley Avenue, Suffolk Street and Rialto Street.

Those streets will reopen to traffic when the weather permits; until then, motorists should not drive around barricades on those streets, city officials said. They also advised residents to call 3-1-1- if their streets are not cleared within 24 hours after snow stops falling.

Interstate, Turnpike Restrictions updated

Drivers in neighboring counties to the south and into West Virginia are advised to delay traveling if possible until the storm blows over.

The forecast also prompted the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to update the start times of planned restrictions for some types of vehicles on sections of several interstates and the Turnpike. Those restrictions will now go into effect at 8 p.m. Sunday for:

• Interstate 79 from the West Virginia border to Exit 77 (Pa. Turnpike)
• I-70 from the West Virginia border to Turnpike Exit 57 (New Stanton)
• I-279, entire length
• I-376 from Brighton (Exit 36) to Turnpike (Exit 85)
• I-579, entire length
• PA Turnpike (I-70/I-76) from Exit 28 (Cranberry) to Exit 161 (Breezewood)
• PA Turnpike 576 (entire length)
• PA Turnpike 43 (entire length)
• PA Turnpike 66 (entire length).

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, interstate restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 AM on Monday for:

• I-81 from the Maryland border to I-78 (Exit 89)
• I-83, entire length
  Turnpike (I-76) from Breezewood (Exit 161) to Harrisburg East (Exit 247).

Those restrictions bar access to designated highways for:

• Tractors without trailers
• Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers 
• Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers
• Tractors towing loaded tandem trailers without chains or Alternate Traction Devices
• Enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that meet the definition of a CMV 
• Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) that are towing trailers
• Recreational vehicles/motorhomes
• School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches, regardless of the availability of trains or ATDs
• Motorcycles. 

Restrictions will be lifted when road conditions are deemed to be safe. Tire chains or ATDs do not need to be installed under these restrictions but must be readily available for use should the vehicle become stuck and not be able to move because of poor traction.

Restrictions and updates for interstates will be communicated via message boards, the 511PA traveler information website and smartphone apps. Motorists can also sign up for alerts on the website.

Dangerous conditions throughout U.S.

About 63 million people in the U.S. were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch or warning on Sunday, according to Bob Oravec of the National Weather Service.

A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central U.S. on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas, according to the Associated Press.

Snowfall and ice blanketed major roadways in parts of Kansas and Indiana, where that state's National Guard was activated to help motorists getting stuck. At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70 as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from Kansas and Missouri — where blizzard conditions were reported — to New Jersey into Monday.

“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said early Sunday.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually stays penned up around the North Pole, spinning like a top. But sometimes it escapes or stretches down to the U.S., Europe or Asia — and that’s when large numbers of people experience intense doses of cold.

Studies show a fast-warming Arctic gets some of the blame for the increase in polar vortex stretching or wandering.

Disruptions extend southward

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, in a statement on X, declared a state of emergency Friday evening ahead of the storm and encouraged residents to vote early on Saturday ahead of the state's special elections Tuesday.

Similar declarations were issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and multiple cities in central Illinois.

“This is the real deal,” meteorologist John Gordon said at a news conference in Louisville, Kentucky. “Are the weather people blowing this out of proportion? No.”

Officials in Annapolis, Maryland, asked residents to remove vehicles from emergency snow routes. The historic state capital near the Chesapeake Bay also announced plans to open several garages Sunday for free parking.

The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches of snow for the Annapolis area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend.

In Baltimore, an extreme weather alert was issued instructing agencies to provide shelter and assistance for those in need. City officials said wind chills were expected to dip to 13 degrees Fahrenheit overnight Saturday and remain in the teens through Tuesday.

In Louisiana, crews were racing to find a manatee that was spotted in Lake Pontchartrain before the cold temperatures hit. The manatee was first seen on New Year’s Eve in the Mandeville area.

While manatees are common in the area during the summer, winter sightings are a concern since they can begin to experience cold stress symptoms when the temperature falls below 68 degrees.

“We are doing everything we can to get our hands on this animal,” said Gabriella Harlamert, stranding and rehab coordinator for Audubon Aquarium Rescue in New Orleans.

Cindi Lash of WESA contributed.