Jan 18, 2019 4 min read

With all eyes on a potential snowstorm heading into the region this weekend, state Department of Transportation officials said they’re ready for the weather.

Fred McMullen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, said the area may start to see snow Saturday, which will turn to rain and back to snow on Sunday leading into very cold temperatures for the start of next week.

McMullen said it’s too soon to give an accurate statement on how much snow the region will get as he believes areas north of Interstate 80 may see significant accumulation.

“Watch out on Sunday morning with the colder temperatures,” McMullen said, adding that the cold temperatures following the rainfall could very well cause flash freezing, which could cause dangerous conditions on streets and roads.

The prediction comes as NWS meteorologists work without pay during the federal government shutdown. McMullen said he could not comment on the effects of the shutdown on the NWS, and members of the NWS Employees Organization did not respond to requests for comment.

PennDOT, however, is ready for whatever may come, said Jay Ofsanik, the safety press officer for PennDOT District 12 in Uniontown.

“We’re absolutely prepared,” he said.

District 12 consists of Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Ofsanik said they’ve had drivers on two shifts every day, and once the snow begins to fall, they’ll either hold one shift later or call another shift in early to handle it.

“They’re ready to go,” Ofsanik said.

As of last week, Ofsanik said District 12 has 196 trucks and 59,000 tons of material to battle snow-covered and frozen roads.

“We used a little this past weekend, but we have more than a sufficient supply for what comes our way,” he said, adding that while there’s a shortage of drivers, all the routes they have to do are covered.

In South Fayette Township, on the northern edge of Allegheny County, officials in its public works department will be keeping a close eye on the weather and deploying crews along 14 routes if significant amounts of snow start to fall, according to Andrea Iglar, a spokeswoman for the township. The township also has a sufficient supply of road salt if the storm proves to be particularly fierce.

It’s much the same story in North Strabane Township in Washington County.

“We have 350 tons of salt,” said Tom Lovell, the township’s public works director. Its equipment is “maintained and ready for whatever we get,” he added.

Ofsanik said if motorists need to travel in bad weather, it’s best to leave an extra 10 to 15 minutes early to drive slower and be more alert versus trying to rush when running late.

That’s good advice, according to AAA East Central. Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that 46 percent of all vehicle collisions involve bad winter weather.

“During the winter months, we receive a lot of insurance claims for people sliding off of the road and damaging their vehicles,” says Mark Sisson, vice president of insurance for AAA East Central. “If you have to leave the house, make sure you drive slowly and ditch all distractions.”

Ofsanik said it’s very important when seeing a PennDOT plow truck to give it room and don’t pass, no matter how wide the roadway may be.

“Keep the lanes open as much as you can, and they’ll clear and treat the roads so everyone can get to where they’re going safely,” Ofsanik said.

Along with tricky driving, property owners could well have sidewalks and driveways to clear. Marsha Corey, a customer service representative at Busy Beaver hardware store in Washington, said “we have supplies, plenty of salt and another shipment coming in.”

She added, “We’re ready for it.”