Late winter snow set to blanket the region

TheNational Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for most of the region throughnoon Saturday.

Up to 6 inches of snow is expected to blanket the region, with around 3 to 5 inches in the city and higher amounts in the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland counties, where there is a winter storm warning.

The weather service in Moon cautioned that there is still some uncertainty in the track of the storm. A shift to the east caused the weather service to lower its original snowfall estimates issued Thursday.

The weather service also warnedthat the storm is expected to bring strong winds in parts of the region, lowering visibility, and making for slippery and treacherous traveling conditions. Winds were forecast to be 14 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph, a pattern that was expected tocontinue into the evening.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on Friday announced high occupancy vehicle lane closures on Interstate 279 for Saturday.

The closures will remain through the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday. According to PennDOT, crews will assess weather conditions to determine when to safely reopen the lanes.

Several restrictions are in place on major highways, PennDOT said in a separate statement.

I-76 will be closed from the New Stanton exit to the Breezewood exit for Tier 1 vehicles, which includes some trucks and trailers.

The entire length of I-99 near Altoona is closed to Tier 3 vehicles, which restricts larger trucks and buses, too, while requiring others to use chains and traction devices.

Allegheny County Public Works Director Stephen Shanely said Friday the county will send out 34 salt trucks when snow begins to fall overnight and will continue to treat roads until they are clear.

Roads cannot be pre-treated ahead of the snowfall because the precipitation will start as rain and would wash away the salt, he said.

The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works said crews were to start at 10 p.m. Friday with 40 trucks on overnight shifts and 70 trucks during the day Saturday.

“These figures include the new lease vehicles which will provide more reliable trucks to service city streets. However, these new trucks are not yet equipped with the technology to be active on the Snowplow Tracker, so residents are warned to not expect to see them appearing there,” a release fromthe city said.

DPW will continue to approach snow treatment in the traditional manner; however, crews will prioritize addressing the parade route in Downtown Pittsburgh in advance of Saturday’s festivities,” the release continued. “Additional crews will hand-clear steps, sidewalks,

and bridges in the immediate parade vicinity, and will continue to work outwards to neighborhood routes from there.”

Friday’s warm temperatures are giving way to frigid air on Saturday, when the highs are expected to be in the mid-20s and the overnight low in the low teens.

After that, however, much snow accumulates in the region likely won’t stick around long. Sunday will see high temperatures around 40 degrees, and then the temperatures will really turn up.

The weather service forecast shows high temperatures in the mid-toupper 50s Monday and Tuesday and reaching the upper 60s by Thursday.

Organizers of the parade, set to begin at 10 a.m. at the Greyhound bus station, said it would be held regardless of the weather but urged people to dress appropriately.