Pre-Thanksgiving Storm in the Forecast

PennDOT Urges Preparation, Flexibility

pdot2CLINTON COUNTY — After dealing with bitter cold earlier this month and traffic-snarling freezing rain last Saturday, Clinton County is now bracing for a Thanksgiving eve snowstorm which could, if predictions prove correct, make early holiday traffic difficult.

The most recent advisory from the National Weather Bureau in State College says a winter storm warning has been issued:

• THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM EST THURSDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

• * LOCATIONS… PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

• * HAZARD TYPES… HEAVY SNOW.

• * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS… 4 TO 8 INCHES. THE HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE EAST OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER… WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEYS… ESPECIALLY THOSE VALLEY LOCATIONS WEST OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER.

• * TIMING… SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE TONIGHT… WHICH WILL BE A FEW HOURS BEFORE SUNRISE WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL BECOME MOST INTENSE DURING THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF WEDNESDAY EVENING FROM WEST TO EAST.

• * IMPACTS… SNOW COVERED ROADS. SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO HOLIDAY TRAVEL. TRAVEL WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND IS NOT ADVISABLE ON WEDNESDAY.

• * WINDS… NORTH 5 MPH OR LESS.

• * TEMPERATURES… IN THE LOWER 30S.

• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

• TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. YOU MAY NEED TO CHANGE TRAVEL PLANS IF POSSIBLE TO AVOID THE HEAVIEST OF THE SNOW. SNOWFALL RATES OF MORE THAN AN INCH PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES. SNOW THAT INTENSE WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ROAD CREWS TO KEEP THE ROADS CLEAR.

• DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVELING. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION…

More Information

• … HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY WEDNESDAY WHICH WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE PRIME HOLIDAY TRAVEL PERIOD…

• .A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE NORTHWARD JUST OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST ON WEDNESDAY. THIS STORM WILL SPREAD A SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MOST OF WEDNESDAY.

• Meanwhile, PennDOT is urging drivers to be prepared and change travel plans if necessary.  “We all want to visit our friends and families this Thanksgiving, but I urge all motorists to be prepared for potential winter road conditions and consider altering travel if necessary,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “Our first priority should be to arrive safely, even if it takes more time to reach our destinations.”

PennDOT crews across the mid-state are monitoring forecasts and will be prepared to tackle wintry conditions. PennDOT expects to extend crew shifts to have 24-hour coverage and will work through the Thanksgiving holiday to clear any accumulating snow.

Crews will monitor road and outside temperatures using technology in each plow truck. This technology helps operators ensure that if conditions warrant road treatment, they are using the optimal type and amount of material.

“Motorists should be aware that if this storm begins with rain or freezing rain, we generally won’t pretreat roads because the rain will wash salt brine away,” Schoch said. “This is one of the reasons why it’s so critical that we have real-time conditions and that drivers closely watch forecasts to decide whether they should travel.”

No matter the holiday destination, drivers should ensure their vehicle has an emergency kit including non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel. Motorists should also tailor their kits to any specific needs that they or their families may have, including baby and pet supplies, extra medication or even children’s games.

Statewide, PennDOT said it currently has 714,000 tons of salt on hand to tackle winter weather and will continue to take salt deliveries throughout the season. Last winter, PennDOT used more than 1.2 million tons of salt on state-owned roads.

When winter weather hits, PennDOT’s primary focus is on interstates and expressways, and equipment may be redirected to these routes during significant winter events. The more traffic a roadway has, the more attention it will receive from plows, so motorists may find deeper accumulations on less-traveled routes and should adjust their driving for those conditions.

PennDOT also urged motorists to “Know Before You Go” using its 511PA traveler information service. Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visitingwww.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 700 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

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