From rain to sleet to snow, Pittsburgh region endures winter storm

PennDOT has ordered commercial vehicles off the interstates in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Parkways East, West and North and Route 28 as of late Thursday afternoon.

That’s because of the storm that coated roads with a wintry mix of freezing rain, ice and sleet, according to the National Weather Service in Moon Township.

The state late Thursday night also restricted commercial vehicles traveling on Interstate 79, from the West Virginia border north to Erie, to remain in the right lane and reduce speed to 45 mph. The same restrictions would be placed on commercial vehicles traveling I-80, from the Ohio border to the intersection of I-99, north of Bellefonte, PennDOT said.

The highway department issued the traffic alert Thursday afternoon as Allegheny County was being hit with the sleet and freezing rain.

Westmoreland County and areas south and east of Pittsburgh experienced that winter mix between 6 p.m. and midnight, the according to Pat Herald, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township.

The western end of Allegheny County was experiencing an ice storm late Thursday afternoon and evening, said meterologist Rich Redmond.

The storm is expected to bring snow later Thursday, with accumulations up to 3 inches for parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania, with ice piling up about ¼-inch, the weather service stated.

In Westmoreland County, the snow was not expected to start accumulating until Friday morning, Redmond said.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Friday for portions of Southwestern Pennsylvania including Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Washington and Greene counties.

A winter storm advisory extends for the same time period for Westmoreland and Armstrong counties and higher elevations of Fayette County.

The potential storm caused many Pittsburgh area schools and businesses to close or be delayed Thursday.

The National Weather Service also has issued a flood advisory from Friday morning through late Saturday evening for the Ohio River at Pittsburgh.

Excessive rainfall and melting snow are projected to contribute to flooding. The weather service predicts the river will rise to a crest of 19.5 feet early Saturday morning, a level which is known to completely flood the Monongahela Parking Wharf in Downtown Pittsburgh.

PennDOT issued these vehicle and roadway restrictions as of 5 p.m.

• Speed limits are temporarily reduced to 45 mph on the Parkways East, West and North, Interstate 579 and Route 28 in Allegheny County and on the Beaver Valley Expressway in Beaver County.

• Tier 1 restrictions remains in place from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the Parkway East business loop in Monroeville; I-80 and Routes 43, 66, 376 and 576. The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be under restrictions from the Ohio line to the Breezewood exit.

Tier 1 restrictions mean these vehicles will not be allowed on the affected roads:

• Tractors without trailers;

• Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers;

• Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers;

• Enclosed cargo delivery trucks that meet the definition of a commercial motor vehicle;

• Passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers;

• Recreational vehicles and motor homes;

• School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches not carrying chains or Alternate Traction Devices (ATDs);

• Motorcycles.

PennDOT is urging drivers not to travel during the storm if possible. Drivers can monitor and check conditions on more than 2,900 miles of roads at 511PA.com.

Follow PennDOT’s southwestern Pennsylvania Twitter feed at Twitter.com/511PAPittsburgh.