PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Parts of western Pennsylvania are under either a winter weather advisory or a winter storm warning Friday as snow moves through the region.
Snow complicated the morning rush hour, but overall, Allegheny County reported much fewer accidents than they would normally expect on a day like this.
First Alert Meteorologist Ray Petelin says people should still be cautious this evening as we start to see a transition to lake effect snow. We could get some quick coatings over the course of the evening, so it could get slick in spots, especially in lesser traveled areas.
On Saturday, there will still be some flurries, and when it's all said and done, Pittsburgh could pick up another inch by Sunday morning, and the Ridges could see more.
We will have full team coverage throughout the morning and the day on KDKA-TV, KDKA+ and here on KDKA.com
Communication helps crews clear roads in timely fashion
Crews in Pittsburgh stayed ahead of the snow on Friday by working tirelessly all day.
The city said the success stems from everyone communicating. KDKA-TV's Alexandra Todd has more about how crews worked to clear the street. Watch her full report below.
Officials said there were no serious crashes due to the storm on Friday.
Canonsburg residents and crews clear snow
In Canonsburg, crews have been out for at least 12 hours, starting when the snow was at its heaviest. Many of the people KDKA-TV's Mamie Bah spoke with say this is a lot less snow than they expected to wake up to.
Clean-up efforts aren't done yet, despite the snow tapering off. Public works said there are a lot of alleyways that need to be cleaned.
High School students gives back on snowy day
Some roads pick up accumulation as lake effect snow moves through
Snow showers will still continue into Friday night and Saturday. Around 5:30 p.m. Friday, some places like Greensburg and Pittsburgh saw big snowflakes coming down.
KDKA-TV's Chris Hoffman reports that the snow is making some spots slick in Brookline.
"As soon as I stopped recording, a car passed us and slid down the hill. It's not taking much to be slick. We saw road crews dropping salt here and within 5 minutes the snow was covered the roads," he reported on social media.
As the area deals with bands of lake effect snow moving through, some roads are starting to look messy. KDKA-TV checked traffic cameras showing I-376 at Business 376 North and saw snowy roads. NWS Pittsburgh shared photos of a traffic camera on I-79 near Bridgeville showing some accumulation on the road.
Crews keep Pittsburgh-area roads passable during snowfall
The fear was the Friday morning rush would be a big pile of slush, but road crews made sure that wasn't the case.
"This morning I had no problem. I was taking it easy, but the left lane was a little slushy, but other than that it was fine," Terry McGuire from Moon Township said.
Jim Molczan was passing through after leaving Erie, a snow lover's haven.
"Got the heck out of Erie before the lake effect kicks in," Molczan said.
He found I-79 to just be wet but on a day like today, that's almost ideal.
"Go below the speed limit. Stay in the right lane. Don't fly, even with a four-wheel drive," Molczan said while loading his car up with windshield washer fluid.
Municipal, county and state road crews started late Thursday night and early Friday morning to make sure roads were passable.
"Temperatures were great. Crews did a great job. I thought all in all it went pretty well," PennDOT District 11 Assistant District Executive of Maintenance Lori Musto said.
Even tricky city neighborhoods like Beechview and Brookline saw clear streets for anyone who wasn't working from home.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed that things continue to go well," said Mayor Ed Gainey's spokesperson, Olga George.
Read more here.
Cranberry Township relies on tech to clear snow
Wintry weather can be a challenge for cities and towns, and now more are turning to new technology for guidance.
Friday's snow gave Cranberry Township a chance to test out pavement temperature sensors, which help the township tackle days like today.
"That's very helpful in making sure that they're keeping up with doing what they need to in an appropriate time frame," said Lara Beeson, who lives in Cranberry Township.
In March of last year, the township purchased three sensors that have been placed in remote areas of the township.
"They're kind of like tubes that go in the pavement," Cranberry Township Director of Public Works Kelly Maurer said. "You do remove the pavement to put them in, but our crews can install them in-house."
"It overlays the weather forecast with the pavement temperature and it shows us when the snow is going to lay on the ground," she added.
Before the sensors, Maurer says, it was somewhat of a guessing game. Road crews would typically have to be on call, but this new technology has made it easier to adequately pre-staff and get ahead of the storm.
The most appealing benefit of this new technology is its cost-saving ability.
"It's not that expensive for the benefit we're getting," Maurer said. "Saving one time sending our crew out is what we're spending on this technology a year."
Maurer added that by knowing what the temperature of the pavement is and knowing ahead of time when snow is going to stick to the ground, the township saves on routes and materials. She calls it a win-win.
The township says it plans on purchasing more of the sensors in the future.
Why is there ice on the Allegheny River but not the Mon?
At the Point in Pittsburgh, ice is starting to form over the Allegheny River, but not over on the Monongahela.
The Mon flows south to north overall while the Allegheny flows north to south overall. Since it's colder up north, there's a temperature difference between the two.
KDKA-TV's Ray Petelin explains:
Residents happy it didn't snow more
PennDOT crews were out the moment snow started falling in Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties on Friday.
Some residents in Greensburg said they woke up to a few inches of snow and were happy it wasn't more.
"It was a nice surprise to not wake up to as much snow," said Ion Anderson, a Greensburg resident.
Most people who had to go out reported the roads were in good condition.
"They were very well maintained. I work the night shift. I saw there were a lot of trucks out last night around 2, 3 o'clock," Anderson said.
"Nothing is really sticking to the ground. Easy to drive in," Nicholas Franzino said.
PennDOT said it plans to have crews treating the roads as long as the snow is falling.
"Our interstates are clear and passable and even if there's still a little bit of snow, they're still passable," said Laina Aquiline, a spokesperson with PennDOT District 12. "As long as there's snow on the ground or conditions dictate, we'll be out there continuing to clear entry."
She reminds drivers if they have to go out, use caution and drive slowly.
"Give our trucks room to move. Try to leave at least six car lengths and don't try to pass them because they are wider than they may appear," Aquiline said.
PennDOT removes tier restrictions in Pittsburgh region
PennDOT has lifted tier 2 restrictions on certain vehicles on several roads in the Pittsburgh area.
In Allegheny County, the restrictions were lifted on interstates 79, 376, 279 and 579 as well as Route 28 and U.S. 22/30.
In Beaver County, the restrictions were lifted on I-376, and in Lawrence County, they were lifted on interstates 79 and 376.
In southwestern Pennsylvania, the restrictions were lifted on I-70 and I-79.
Pittsburgh activating six warming centers for Saturday
With temperatures forecasted to be below 20 degrees, CitiParks is activating six healthy active living centers as warming centers on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The living centers are located in Beechview, Brighton Heights, Garfield, Homewood, Sheraden and the South Side. A full list, as well as a list of the rec centers open on Saturdays, can be found on the city's website.
PennDOT lifts speed limit reductions and tier restrictions
PennDOT has lifted speed limit reductions and tier restrictions throughout the northern part of the Pittsburgh area, including I-80 in Clarion and Jefferson counties as well as I-79 in Butler County.
While PennDOT recommends staying home during winter storms, drivers can check conditions on roadways online.
USPS asks residents to keep paths clear for mail carriers
The United States Postal Service is asking customers to keep paths to their mailboxes clear.
USPS says any amount of snow can cause a dangerous situation for mail carriers. Keeping paths clear of snow and ice will help mail carriers continue consistent delivery and keep them safe from potentially slipping and injuring themselves.
"The Postal Service appreciates any effort made by our customers to help keep our carriers safe," said strategic communications specialist Mark Lawrence in a news release.
More snow expected for Pittsburgh area Friday afternoon into evening
Crews catch up as snowfall lightens in Canonsburg
Despite the light snow coming down now, crews are still out making sure the roads are clear and in Washington County, they are. You can see the pavement. People have been able to get to work, and businesses around KDKA-TV's Mamie Bah in Canonsburg were open.
Public works director Brian Moody said his crew of nine has been out since 4 a.m. They used more than 100 tons of salt. Right now, Moody said his crew is using this opportunity to catch up after the heavy snowfall overnight.
"We kind of got a little bit of bad timing with rush hour, the heaviest snow came in at rush hour, but the guys worked hard, they got the roads clear and we had no issues that I'm aware of," Moody said.
There is an order: main and state roads are cleaned first, then primary streets and secondary streets. Then there's the sidewalks, and alleyways come after. Crews will be out all day.
Roads are passable but not clear in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County is one of the areas expecting a good amount of snow on Friday. Caution is the word for the day in Westmoreland County and points east. The roads are passable, but not close to clear.
Morning in Murrysville welcomed those venturing out with light snow but enough to warrant extra precautions behind the wheel.
"Slow down, make sure you have brand new tires -- that's important, you know. Just take it easy, watch everybody else. Don't worry about yourself, worry about everyone else," said one driver.
A little further east in New Alexandria, Route 22 remained covered with the snow's intensity changing every few minutes.
"The roads are covered. They're not icy, just a little slushy," said Randy Smith of Johnstown.
PennDOT, local municipalities and private contractors in Westmoreland County spent the morning scraping the blacktop and spreading anti-skid. Big trucks with big blades rolled along like saviors with a dump bed full of salt.
"I guess you could say that," Brandon Leechalk of JBL Contracting conceded.
Leechalk was behind the wheel in the pre-dawn hours. He's been a very busy man.
"We got 21, 22 lots we take care of," he said.
When asked how he was holding up, he said, "So far, so good. Stopped at the coffee shop to get a coffee, you know how it is."
Light snow continues to fall in Pittsburgh
A lot of people have been waking up and digging out from the fresh coating of powder. KDKA-TV's Lauren Linder was in Lawrenceville this afternoon with a look at how people are doing.
Hours later, snow is still falling in Pittsburgh, but it's light and dry, not too wet. Conditions weren't too bad on Fisk Street.
KDKA-TV caught some people out and about cleaning off their cars, throwing salt on the sidewalks and clearing them of snow using every tool from snowblowers to good old-fashioned shovels.
Two neighbors were removing snow from a driveway. They said the weather wasn't what they expected, but they wanted to do what they could to help their neighbors.
"Compared to recent years, it's more snow than we've seen. So you can say that but as far as -- it's not that bad really," said Joe Garlicki.
"They're all good neighbors. They always look out for me, my family and stuff," so we want to look out for them, said Mary Radziminski.
If you can't avoid getting out today, stick to the main roads, which are more clear, but still know they're wet and could be icy so take your time and take it slow.
What are the current road conditions in the Pittsburgh area?
As of noon, KDKA-TV's John Shumway says some areas are more difficult than others, but overall, the main roads are in pretty good shape. He says there's not a lot to keep people from going out, but it's still a good idea to use caution if you do.
WATCH: Current road conditions in western Pennsylvania
Snow day at Heather Abraham's house
Speed limits restored in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties
After reducing speed limits earlier this morning, PennDOT has announced that they have been restored in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties.
This includes I-79, I-279, I-376, I-579, Route 28, and U.S. Routes 22 and 30 in Allegheny County; The Beaver Valley Expressway (I-376) in Beaver County; and I-79 and I-376 in Lawrence County.
Snowy roads and tire pressure - what to know
While you may look at your tires and nothing seems out of the ordinary, if that light is on, your tire pressure monitoring system has detected a tire running lower on air than it should.
"It's a huge difference," said Tim Dietz, the owner of Troubleshooters. "If you're running on low tire pressure, the tire handling is unpredictable, the braking will also be unpredictable. So, when you have low air pressure in your tires, it's going to be harder to drive your vehicle, harder to handle."
At Troubleshooters in Ross Township, Dietz and the crew have seen their share of what under-inflated tires can do.
"Now, you're running a tire that's maybe eight nine pounds low and you hit a hole and it will blow the tire out," Dietz explained.
The lack of air pressure causes the sides to get soft and your control gets soft, too.
Morning forecast: Snow expected throughout the day
We have seen the first low well ahead of the second low, leaving a bit of a gap. This will likely eat into our snow totals. I still expect everyone to see at least 3 inches of snow. Westward-facing slopes will see the largest totals and should expect at least 5 inches.
Snow should be fairly continuous through 3 p.m. Lake effect snow showers are also expected off and on overnight and into the morning hours. Once the snow comes to an end this afternoon, the cool air will move in behind it. Highs on Saturday will likely be in the teens, or whatever the temp is at midnight if it is still in the 20s.
The low on Saturday will be near 10 with wind chills hovering near 0. It is going to be nasty.
You can see Ron Smiley's full forecast right here.
"The roads are treated, they're ready." PennDOT provides update on road maintenance
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - This morning has seen consistent snowfall, but PennDOT and other local snow crews have been at the ready and at work clearing and salting roads, including in Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette, and Greene counties.
We spoke with PennDOT District 12's Assistant District Executive of Maintenance Robb Dean on KDKA-TV Morning News.
"The roads are treated, they're ready," he said.
You can watch his full interview below.
WATCH: Exclusive interview with Cranberry Township Director of Public Works
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP (KDKA) - KDKA-TV Morning News spoke exclusively with the Cranberry Township Public Works Director about how they're working to keep the roads clear, salted, and ready for the morning commute despite the falling snow.
Kelly Maurer spoke with us live from the traffic operations center.
She told us that they currently have their regular full-time crews, 25 operators on 17 routes and they have been out since 4 a.m.
You can check out the full interview here.
"Two waves:" First Alert Meteorologist Ron Smiley provides update on snow timeline
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As you're waking up to snow falling, Ron Smiley has an updated timeline on what to expect throughout the morning.
According to Ron, this now appears like the snow will come in "two waves."
The first wave of snow is working its way through and we should get a brief lull in the snow from 7 a.m. until 8 a.m.
Then, the snow will return for another three to four hours.
Ron has now dropped the snow totals to three to six inches due to that break.
PennDOT reduces speed limits in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - PennDOT has announced they are reducing the speed limit to 45 miles per hour on several roadways in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties.
This includes I-79, I-279, I-376, I-579, Route 28, and U.S. Routes 22 and 30 in Allegheny County; The Beaver Valley Expressway (I-376) in Beaver County; and I-79 and I-376 in Lawrence County.
PennDOT is urging people to avoid unnecessary travel, but they are working to keep roads clear. That doesn't mean they'll be completely free of ice and snow and motorists should take all precautions should they have to drive.