The National Weather Service is predicting at least a foot of snow for most of the region during this weekend's winter storm, and state officials have a simple message for residents across Pennsylvania.
"If you don't need to be on the roads, please stay home," Lt. Colonel George Bivens, Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner, said Friday.
State Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll reframed that advice for sports fans.
"My preference would be a Sunday stay home day — watch the NFL games, despite the fact that the Eagles and Steelers are not playing," Carroll said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency to make resources available to prepare for and support response efforts for the upcoming storm.
When will the snow start? How long will it last?
The National Weather Service says a winter storm warning will be in effect beginning at 1 a.m. Sunday, which is when the snow is generally expected to move into the region, and the warning is in effect through 7 p.m. Monday.
The bulk of the snow is expected to fall in the 24 hours between 7 a.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Monday. in Northeast Pennsylvania, potentially starting as early as 10 p.m. Saturday in areas of Central Pennsylvania.
The photo gallery below shows NWS' expected timing for snowfall in Northeast Pennsylvania.
How much snow will we get?
That will vary by location, but for much of WVIA's coverage, the answer is at least 12 inches, with snowfall starting in the early hours of Sunday and continuing until Monday evening. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are expected by Sunday afternoon.
- The NWS Office in Binghamton, N.Y., which covers Northeast Pennsylvania (Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne and Pike counties) is generally stating 12 to 18 inches can be expected in that area.
- Some neighboring areas in New York State, particularly from Binghamton east to the Catskills and Hudson Valley, could see 18 inches or more, NWS says.
- The NWS Office in State College, which covers Central Pennsylvania, predicts between 10 and 18 inches in that region.
- The NWS Office on Mount Holly, N.J., which covers areas of Eastern Pennsylvania, is predicting 12 to 18 inches in Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh and Northampton counties, and possibly a light glaze of ice.
“Just expect, in this event, one or two inches per hour rates, with chances for up to three during peak storm timeframes,” said Kaitlyn Lardeo, a meteorologist with NWS Binghamton.
The storm is most likely to be an all snow event, NWS officials said, and a 15 to 1 snow to liquid ratio will make that snow dry and fluffy.
Brace for extreme cold
Heavy snow isn't the only challenge facing Pennsylvanians. NWS officials say extreme cold temperatures and wind chills will descend on the region between Friday evening and Monday morning. As shown in the graphic above, that could include lows of 1 degree in Hazleton and Honesdale, and 4 degrees in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. And that bitter cold will stick around through the week.
Officials want drivers off the road
As stated above, transportation officials and police are urging people to stay home if at all possible on Sunday into Monday.
Tier 4 commercial vehicle restrictions will be implemented at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, meaning no commercial vehicles are permitted on the entire Interstate network, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and all of its extensions, and on other major roadways in Pennsylvania.
Information about the restrictions will be communicated via digital highway message boards, the 511PA traveler information website, and smartphone apps. Drivers can also sign up for personalized alerts on the website.
Restrictions will be lifted as quickly as possible when conditions permit, officials said.
"We are already pre-treating roads in anticipation of the storm, and we will be working around the clock to keep our roads safe and passable," Carroll said. "However, we're expecting snow to be falling at rates of one to two inches per hour during the height of the storm, which poses the real challenge for our plowing operations."
"It's worth reminding folks that PennDOT has 44,000 miles of roadway. So it's an impossible assignment for them to be bare and clear during the entire storm," Carroll added.
State plows focus on the Interstate and high-volume roadways first, he said, and then move down from there.
Drivers can see where the plow trucks have been and how recently the road has been cleared at the 511 PA website, he said.
