HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Governor 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 Governor Tom 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."
Governor Tom 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," Governor 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.
Contact: Jeff Sheridan,
jesheridan@pa.gov
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SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor