Mix Of Rain, Snow, and Ice Causes Power Outages, Messy Roadways Throughout Western Pa. – CBS Pittsburgh

Aila SliscoFebruary 4, 2022
25
What does that mean? - CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Western Pennsylvania is dealing with a severe winter storm consisting of rain, ice, and snow throughout the region.

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Rain, Ice And Snow Hit Region

Friday, Feb. 4

6:15 a.m. — Drivers near Rt. 982 in Westmoreland County encountered trouble as roadways flooded early Friday morning.

 

6:00 a.m. — Conditions in Butler County featured snow and ice covering roadways making for treacherous travel.

WATCH: John Shumway reports from the KDKA Mobile Weather Lab:

 

5:30 a.m. – Meteorologist Mary Ours reports on the potential for flooding:

 

5:00 a.m. – Shaler Police are reporting that a stretch Geyer Road is closed due to a clogged catch basin.

4:00 a.m. – Duquesne Light and First Energy are reporting scattered power outages.

Over 5,000 Duquesne Light customers are without power, while nearly 19,00 homes with FirstEnergy are in the dark in Washington County.

3:00 a.m. — According to the National Weather Service, the rainfall record for the day of February 3 was tied in Pittsburgh with 1.02″ of rain.

Thursday, Feb. 3

11:30 p.m. — As temperatures begin to drop, the freezing rain/snow in the northern part of the region is moving toward Pittsburgh and the southern counties.

KDKA Meteorologist Ray Petelin has an up-to-the-minute forecast detailing everything you need to know.

WATCH: Ray Petelin’s forecast

11:20 p.m. — Fayette and Westmoreland counties have not seen a lot of ice so far. It has been raining all day in the counties, leading to concerns about flooding.

Westmoreland County said its Swift Water Rescue Team is on standby. Streams, rivers and low-lying areas are places of concern for officials.

“Our main concern is just tomorrow’s morning commute,” said Cassandra Kovatch, a PIO for the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. “So we will be monitoring the traffic flow, but our main message right now to the public is just to avoid travel if all possible.”

WATCH: Erika Stanish reports

11:15 p.m. — In the North Hills, trees and shrubs are covered in ice, though crews are making their way through the area to treat roads as they can.

WATCH: Royce Jones reports

11:10 p.m. — Roads in Beaver and Lawrence counties are covered in snow. Multiple trees have fallen over due to the ice accumulation, and hundreds of residents are in the dark.

Ice is also causing power lines to sag and fall in Hopewell Township. Officials say to avoid any down power lines.

WATCH: Jessica Guay reports

10:50 p.m. — FirstEnergy reports more than 10,000 customers in Washington County are without power tonight.

8:30 p.m. — If you must drive tonight or Friday morning, AAA has some tips to keep yourself and others safe.

7:58 p.m. — PennDOT is continuing to update restrictions on roads across western Pennsylvania. For the most up-to-date restrictions, click here.

7:08 p.m. — KDKA-TV viewer Sherry Presutti sent in a video of a transforming blowing on the Steubenville Pike in Burgettstown near Busey Road.

FirstEnergy reports more than 2,000 customers are currently without power.

6:33 p.m. — Flooding is a concern in Greensburg, where Westmoreland is one of several counties under a Flood Warning. Melting snow and steady rain are creating flooding concerns.

“We’re also going to keep an eye out for the potential for any of our swift-water rescue teams in the county to need to be activated in response to any of the major flooding concerns. But at this time, our main concern is just tomorrow’s morning commute. So we’ll be monitoring the traffic flow, but our main message right now to the public is just to avoid travel if all possible,” said Cassandra Kovatch with the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety.

Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Monongalia are also under the warning.

WATCH: KDKA’s Erika Stanish reports

6:18 p.m. — A part of Route 48, also known as Long Run Road, in White Oak is closed for flooding.

Water is bubbling from a manhole. Crews saidrainwater from a nearby creek overwhelmed the sewer system.

WATCH: KDKA’s Royce Jones reports

6:07 p.m. — Crews across the South Hills spent the past 24 hours prepping the snow trucks and fine-tuning emergency alert systems.

Brentwood Emergency Management Coordinator John Balkovec said he’s been prepping snow trucks and making sure the borough’s emergency notification system is good to go in case they need to send safety alerts to residents. He said he hopes the switch to snow happens fast and doesn’t leave crews dealing with hours of straight ice.

WATCH: KDKA’s Meghan Schiller reports

6:04 p.m. — A mix of sleet and freezing rain is coming down on I-376 in Beaver County. The roads are starting to get icy and a little slippery.

KDKA’s Jessica Guay reports some of the worst conditions she’s seen were in the New Castle area of Lawrence County where some parts of the highway were covered in ice. One car appeared to veer off the road and get stuck on a median strip.

WATCH: Jessica Guay reports from the KDKA Mobile Weather Lab

6:02 p.m. — The weather was impacting many of our northern counties including Beaver, Butler, and Lawrence. For much of the day, Beaver and Butler saw rain while Lawrence saw more freezing rain conditions.

Dispatchers in Beaver County said there were only minor incidents. Some first responders found some slick spots but got road crews to address them.

PennDOT had 36 crew out in Beaver County, 23 in Lawrence and 35 in Butler.

The next concern will be the morning rush when snow is expected to start falling.

“The men and women are out there doing what they do through winter for us. They’re are doing a great job. They are taking care of the roadways as much as they are able to between rains and everything else that’s coming to us. They will be at it all night and all morning,” Tina Gibbs with PennDOT District 10 said over Zoom.

WATCH: KDKA’s Chris Hoffman reports

5:35 p.m. — Nearly 100 flights have been canceled at Pittsburgh International Airport. Some flights are already canceled for Friday.

“We’re advising passengers to make sure you check with your airlines in advance before you come to the airport about your flight status. Things change, cancelations can happen quickly,” Bob Kerlik, Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesperson, said.

Click here for more.

5:15 p.m. — Tier 4 restrictions are in place on multiple roads.

The restrictions are in place on I-79, I-279, I-579, Route 28 and I-376 between Business Loop 376 at Exit 57 and the Turnpike in Allegheny County. It also impacts I-79 in Lawrence County.

Tier 4 restrictions mean no commercial vehicles are allowed, neither are passenger cars towing trailers, buses, motor coaches, motorcycles and RVs.

4:25 p.m. — The NWS issued an Areal Flood Warning for Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington, Westmoreland and Monongalia counties until 7 a.m. Friday. The word “areal” means “area wide.”

(Photo: KDKA Weather Center)

Click here for more.

4:15 p.m. — KDKA’s Jessica Guay is reporting from the Mobile Weather Lab.

3:30 p.m. — South Hills Village and Ross Park Mall will be closing early today, Thursday, Feb. 3, at 5 p.m. Individual restaurant, department store and theatre hours may vary. Initial plans are to reopen at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, but they are continuing to monitor the situation.

3:15 p.m. — Duquesne Light said it’s adding extra field crews to address any outages safely and as quickly possible, although some response times may be delayed because of potentially hazardous road conditions.

Duquesne Light customers are reminded to call 911 for any medical issues that may be impacted by an outage and avoid downed power lines. The quickest way to report a power outage is online.

At this time, Duquesne Light’s website says there are seven active outages affecting a little fewer than 500 customers.

2:03 p.m. — Due to deteriorating weather conditions, President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark has ordered the closure of all divisions of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County Magisterial District Courts, and Pittsburgh Municipal Court at 2 p.m. today, February 3, 2022. Arraignment Court will remain open.

1:50 p.m. — The mayor of Bethel Park has declared a winter storm emergency.

Residents are urged to move their cars into their driveways, keep garbage cans off the street and make sure phones and computers are charged. They’re also asked to check on elderly neighbors or those who may need help and make sure fire hydrants are clear and accessible.

1:20 p.m. — KDKA Meteorologist Mary Ours is tracking the line of freezing rain, which is starting to move into the area. Get her forecast here.

12:30 p.m. — Chris Hoffman and his photographer are driving on area roads and reporting the latest conditions.

12:29 p.m. — PennDOT is reducing speed limits and restricting vehicles in anticipation of potentially hazardous icy conditions.

The speed limit on I-79, I-376, I-279, I-579 and Route 28 has been dropped to 45 mph.

Tier 1 restrictions, which include all the vehicles listed here like tractors without trailers, RVs and motorcycles, are in place in several counties. In Allegheny: I-79, I-376, I-279, I-579 and Route 28. In Beaver County: I-376. In Lawrence County: I-376 and I-79.

12:08 p.m. — A Flood Advisory has been issued for the Ohio River. As a precaution, the Mon Wharf will be closed Friday, Feb. 4, until further notice.

8:00 a.m. — Roadways in Lawrence County were becoming icy early Thursday morning.

6:35 a.m. — The speed limit on Interstate 376 Westbound has been reduced to 45 miles per hour and a restriction has been placed on commercial vehicles, which are only allowed to use the right lane for the time being.

6:30 a.m. — Driving on ice can be quite precarious, but John Shumway has some tips on how to minimize the risks when trying to stay safe.

6:00 a.m. — As the rain in the area will soon turn to ice and snow, power companies are preparing for the possibility of outages throughout the area.

WATCH: Bryant Reed reports:

5:30 a.m. —  Light rain has been falling in Beaver County but this morning it’s expected to change to freezing rain.

Crews are ready in numerous counties, including Beaver, and making sure they have plenty of salt ready to put on the roads.

WATCH: Lindsay Ward reports:

 

Wednesday, Feb. 2

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued and will be in effect from 4 a.m. Thursday through 10 a.m. Friday for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Clarion and Washington counties, as well as parts of Ohio and West Virginia.

Stay up to date with the KDKA app, which you can download here.

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2022/02/04/live-winter-storm-tracker-trifecta-of-rain-ice-and-snow-expected-to-arrive-throughout-western-pa/ Mix Of Rain, Snow, and Ice Causes Power Outages, Messy Roadways Throughout Western Pa. – CBS Pittsburgh

Aila SliscoFebruary 4, 2022
25
Photo of Aila Slisco

Aila Slisco

Aila Slisco is a Dailynationtoday U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. He has covered climate change extensively, as well as healthcare and crime. Aila Slisco joined Dailynationtoday in 2023 from the Daily Express and previously worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. He is a graduate of Cambridge University. Languages: English. You can get in touch with me by emailing: ailaslisco@dailynationtoday.com.

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