Winds leave 14,000 residents without power through Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania’s weather roller coaster had high winds sweep out 60-plus degree temperatures Thursday to below freezing early Friday, also resulting in almost 14,000 area residents still without power, according to area utility companies.

Among the highest wind gusts reported to the National Weather Service overnight were 58 miles per hour at the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport in Fayette County, 51 at the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin and 47 miles per hour at Arnold Palmer Reginal Airport in Unity, Westmoreland County.

West Penn Power Co. reported Fayette County had 6,137 utility customers still without power as of 6:30 a.m., while 166 customers in Allegheny, 1,696 in Greene, 1,392 in Washington and 3,805 in Westmoreland County were also without power. In Westmoreland, some 587 utility customers in Mt. Pleasant Township, 409 in Unity and 317 in Cook had no electricity, according to the utility’s website.

Restoration times in many of those areas were not available.

Duquesne Light’s website reported 1,224 without power in Allegheny County at 6:30 a.m. including 280 customers in Scott Township and 147 in Moon.

National Weather Service meteorologist Pat Herald said the region recorded a high of 62 degrees about 11 p.m. Thursday that had dropped to just 24 degrees just before 7 a.m.

“It’s called a progressive weather pattern. It’s really normal for late February into early March,” Herald said.

The weather service reported that area residents can expect the high to reach about 31 degrees today.

“We can expect a few snow showers this morning, but very little accumulation. But Saturday morning the temperatures will again dip into the teens, about 16 degrees in the early morning,” Herald said.

The weather service said the high Saturday will reach 33 degrees while Sundays high will be 46 degrees with a low of 34. Area residents can expect temperatures to reach into the 50s with sunny skies expected again Monday, according to the weather service.

PennDOT District 11 in Pittsburgh reported several state roadways in Allegheny County were closed or restricted due to the rain and snow melt Thursday.

Those restrictions include:

• Center Street (Route 2118) between Walnut Street (Route 48) and Center Grove Road in Versailles;
• Route 48 between Old Long Run Road in the City of McKeesport to Cool Springs Road in White Oak;
• Little Pine Creek Road (Route 4017) between Kiwanis Park Road and Wise Lane in Shaler, and,
• Little Deer Creek Road (Route 1015) between Lefever Hill Road/Log Cabin Road intersection and Duquesne Light Lane in Indiana Township.
• The 10th Street Bypass in Pittsburgh will close 4 p.m. today in both directions due to anticipated flooding.The bypass will close between I-279 Parkway North/Fort Duquesne Bridge and Fort Duquesne Boulevard and the ramps from northbound and southbound I-279 to the 10th Street Bypass will also close.

Motorists should use Fort Duquesne Boulevard to detour around the closure. Motorists on I-279 should use the ramps to Fort Duquesne Boulevard.

PennDOT District 12 in Uniontown has announced the following road closures due to flooding. In Fayette County, Jumonville Road (Route 2021) in North Union between Washington Springs Road and Old Braddock Road is closed due to downed trees in wires.

In Westmoreland County, the traffic restrictions include:

• Route 381 in Ligonier Township between Route 30 and Club Stable Road is closed due to flooding.
• Ross Mountain Park Road (Route 1007) between Lower Club Road in Fairfield and Shrum Hill Road in St. Clair is closed due to downed trees in wires.
• Bethel Church Road (Route 2033) in Unity between Route 982 and Solomon Temple Road is closed due to a downed utility, and,
• Two Mile Run Road (Route 2045) in Ligonier Township between Weller Road and Dickey Road is closed due to a downed tree in wires.