A winter storm featuring snow and freezing rain is expected to reach Pennsylvania tonight, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a winter weather advisory for dozens of counties.
Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Perry, Franklin, Mifflin, and Juniata Counties are included in the advisory, which will go into effect at 10 p.m. on Wednesday and run until noon on Thursday, according to the NWS.
The NWS forecasts that by 7 a.m. Thursday, the south-central part of Pennsylvania will receive less than an inch of snow. Wednesday night is predicted to bring freezing rain, with some areas seeing up to a quarter-inch of accumulation.
According to forecasts, snow should begin to fall before any freezing rain does. According to the current forecast, snow will mostly fall after 1 p.m. in Harrisburg and Lancaster, while snow will begin to fall between 7 and 10 a.m. in places further south, such as Gettysburg and York.
Forecasters predict that Wednesday will see snowfall with low-to-mid-30 degree temperatures before a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain spreads across the area on Wednesday evening. According to the NWS, the freezing rain should stop by Thursday afternoon when the temperature rises into the 40s.
The NWS predicts that by 10 a.m. Thursday, all of the snow, freezing rain, and sleet will transition to rain in Harrisburg.
According to forecasters, Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Lancaster, and the surrounding areas will receive less than an inch of snow, but up to a quarter of an inch of ice.
According to current weather projections, Gettysburg will have between a tenth of an inch and a quarter of an inch of ice, while Harrisburg and Lancaster will see between a hundredth and a tenth of an inch.
WINTER STORM DETAILS: A narrow band of 1-3″ of snow may form across south central Pennsylvania.WED NIGHT: The area is covered with a wintry combination of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.THU: Freezing As the temperature rises into the 40s, the rain stops.ioWpRxLXUB https://t.co/mLqvlCztTI#PAwxpic.twitter.com
The weather alert also covers the counties of Warren, McKean, Potter, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Centre, Huntingdon, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Lycoming, Union, Snyder, Montour, Northumberland, Columbia, and Schuylkill.
The majority of Pennsylvania was classified as having modest impacts, which entails some annoyances to day-to-day activities and potentially hazardous driving conditions.
Forecasters predict that a region of western Pennsylvania municipalities, including Somerset, Johnstown, and the surrounding areas, will experience the most ice/freezing rain. By Thursday morning, those locations should have between one and two inches of snow and between a quarter and a half inch of ice. A severe storm warning is in force from Wednesday at 7 p.m. until Thursday at noon.
The winter weather was predicted to have moderate effects on the southwestern region, resulting in dangerous driving conditions and infrastructure closures or interruptions. The major or extreme consequences did not include any regions of the state.
The NWS warned that although there won’t be much snow in Erie and the surrounding towns in northwest Pennsylvania, there could still be up to a quarter-inch of ice.
Ahead of the winter weather, PennDOT also imposed a number traffic restrictions across the state:
At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the following Tier 2 vehicle limits will take effect:
The following roads will be subject to additional Tier 2 restrictions starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday:
The following automobiles are prohibited on impacted roads due to Tier 2 restrictions:
Additionally, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Tier 4 limits will be implemented on the following roads:
Additional Tier 4 restrictions are planned for Wednesday at 10 p.m.:
Finally, these roads will be subject to Tier 4 limitations starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday:
Commercial vehicles are not allowed on roads with Tier 4 restrictions. Moreover, while limitations are in effect, no commercial buses, school buses, motor coaches, motorcyclists, RVs, motorhomes, or passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) are allowed to tow trailers on the impacted roads.
While it is advised to minimize needless travel during the winter months, if you do choose to drive, see PennLive’s comprehensive report on PennDOT restrictions across the state.
Continue searching if you’re hoping to glimpse a bright future. It is predicted that two additional storms will bring more snowy precipitation to central Pennsylvania on Saturday and Tuesday, Deb. 11.