Region readies plows as storm nears

The National Weather Service on Saturday upgraded its winter storm watch for the Pittsburgh region to a winter storm warning, meaning hazardous weather is imminent and conditions could pose a threat to life or property.

The weather service had issued the storm watch Friday, saying that hazardous weather was possible Sunday and into Monday.

Facing 6 to 8 inches of snow, Allegheny County’s director of public works said Saturday that his trucks were “ready and loaded” for Sunday night’s storm. Areas to the north and west of Pittsburgh could receive up to 10 inches of snow through Monday afternoon, meteorologists said.

“We expect there to be accumulation on the roadways due to the amount of snow that is coming to our region,” the county public works director, Stephen Shanley, said Saturday afternoon.

The area could receive about an inch an hour, he said. It takes county drivers about two-and-a-half hours to complete their routes and refill salt trucks, which is why snow accumulation on the roadways is a possibility.

“We encourage people to stay home if you’re able to, and if you’re not, please drive in accordance with road and weather conditions and leave enough room between you and the car in front of you,” Mr. Shanley said.

The county is ready to deploy “at least 30 trucks” for the storm and will begin working once snow starts falling. The department is operating under winter shifts, meaning crews will be staggered so they can be available 24 hours a day.

The county has more than 8,000 tons of salt and more than 3,000 gallons of liquid calcium chloride ready to use on the nearly 360 miles of roads it maintains, Mr. Shanley said.

Once the storm begins, the fleet will initially focus on major roadways and bridges, Mr. Shanley said.

In Pittsburgh, the city has more than 20,000 tons of salt and 80 snowplows ready for Sunday’s storm, Chris Hornstein, the city’s acting public works director, said Friday.

With many businesses, schools and government offices being closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mr. Shanley said crews should be able to work more efficiently because they won’t be stuck in traffic.

Earlier this month, when the region received about an inch-and-a-half of snow, road crews ran into trouble because it began falling right at rush hour, “so the trucks couldn’t get through as quickly,” Mr. Shanley said.

For what is expected to be the area’s largest snowfall yet this winter, Mr. Shanley doesn’t expect there to be any issues.

“The fleet is the best it’s ever been,” he said.

County residents can determine who is responsible for plowing their streets online via the Who Owns My Infrastructure website. Also provided there are phone numbers for residents to contact if they have a complaint about snow removal on their streets.