National Weather Service Expands Winter Storm Warning To Include Allegheny Co.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The massive snowstorm that's pounding the East Coast is also causing plenty of problems right here in Western Pennsylvania.
The snow started in Fayette County around 3 p.m. Friday, continued moving north, and arrived here in Pittsburgh in the late afternoon hours.
The National Weather Service has now placed Allegheny County under a Winter Storm Warning until 7 p.m. Saturday.
The warning also remains in effect for Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
"As we look at Vipir Radar, the snow has been steadiest and heaviest across the southern tier of counties, as well as eastern counties, which would include Washington, Greene, Fayette and Westmoreland counties," said KDKA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla. "And you get in some of those higher elevations of Westmoreland and Fayette counties and down in through northern West Virginia and it's been thumping snow there for the better part of the last few hours. The further north you go, the less in the way of snow and accumulation."
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Parts of West Virginia and Maryland are also under winter weather advisories and warnings.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin have both declared states of emergency due to this weekend snowstorm.
How much snow you see depends on your location, Verszyla says.
"Additional snowfall on top of what we're already seeing – these are totals, in total through 4 o'clock [Saturday]," Verszyla said. "A very sharp gradient where the difference between a little bit of snow and a lot of snow is 25 to 30 miles. [We] still have that 1 to 3 inches across the northern tier of Allegheny County and points just a little further north, and then the totals depending on location [in the southern areas] go from as little as 4 inches to as much as 12 plus inches."
Officials are warning people to stay in, but if you have to be on the roads, they say take it very slow.
"In addition to the snow falling, there are brisk winds – 10 to 15 miles an hour – which will along with the falling snow contribute to reduced visibility," Verszyla said.
He says the snow will end in the immediate Pittsburgh area around 11 a.m. Saturday. Then, areas to the east and south of the city will see the snow end between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
He says Saturday's conditions will be brisk and chilly with a high of just 29.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on the weather conditions.