Wintry mix of snow and rain adds to winter blues
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
South Strabane Fire Department Chief Scott Reese stands next to a vehicle that went over a hillside Wednesday on Route 136 at the Beau Mart.
Gabriel Ryall, 8, clears snow from the sidewalk at his home in Canonsburg on Wednesday.
Celeste Van Kirk/For the Observer-Reporter
In this photo from February, Antonio Manuel of Washington shovels snow along a sidewalk on West Chestnut Street in Washington. While the sale of shovels has been lagging, meteorologists expect winter weather to return at the end of the month.
Observer-Reporter
Anthony Zappone of Washington carries his son, Casey, 2, on his shoulders February 20 as he walks down West Chestnut Street in Washington.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Dave Hostovich of Roscoe cleans the sidewalks Wednesday in front of Monongahela Manor, where he works.
Two trucks work together Wednesday to plow McKean Avenue in Donora.
A machine moves coal Wednesday at the Donora River Terminal along Route 837 in Carroll Township.
A train travels along Route 837 in Carroll Township during a winter storm Wednesday.
A wintry mix of heavy snow and freezing rain not only clogged roads Wednesday, but it also nixed a silly Mon Valley event designed to put a hex on the winter blues.
Organizers of the annual Hoodie Hoo Day in Charleroi canceled the party and can’t reschedule the event for a year because the “holiday” is to be celebrated at noon Feb. 20.
“Unfortunately and ironically, the Hoodie Hoo Day festivities planned for today are canceled due to the weather conditions,” the organizer, Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, announced early Wednesday.
The event urges attendees to dress in colorful outfits, count down to noon and repeatedly shout “Hoodie Hoo” to send winter packing.
“Wherever you may be at high noon, still give a shout out to scare this winter out of here!!!” the chamber said.
But winter did the scaring for some drivers Wednesday morning. One woman driving on Beau Street in South Strabane Township ended up over an embankment about 11 a.m.
South Strabane fire Chief Scott Reese said the woman was the only one in the car when she lost control on a curve on Route 136, slid through the snowy parking lot of Beau Mart and went over an embankment, where her vehicle got stuck.
“She was scared to death,” Reese said.
Reese said firefighters were able to get the woman out of the car, and she didn’t have any serious injuries.
Reports of crashes, fender-benders and vehicles getting stuck poured in to Washington County police departments Wednesday morning as people attempted their daily commutes.
The state Department of Transportation temporarily reduced the speed limit on Interstates 79 and 70 to 45 mph Wednesday morning due to anticipated snowy road conditions. The speed reduction was lifted Wednesday afternoon.
Valerie Petersen, spokeswoman for PennDOT, said road crews started pretreating the roads before the storm hit, and continued to plow and treat the roads throughout the day.
A PennDOT news release said “the department’s goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow.”
In a news release, PennDOT encouraged motorists to give plow trucks space and to keep an emergency pack in their cars with blankets, food, water and shovels.
According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, Washington County got between 2 to more than 4 inches of snow Wednesday morning. Burgettstown reported 4.7 inches, while McMurray had 3.6 inches and Monessen had 3.5, according to meteorologist Lee Hendricks.
“Washington County got a little less than Allegheny County,” Hendricks said. “It was about where we put the snowfall amounts for the advisory.”
According to the NWS, Fayette County saw on average 3 to 3.5 inches of snow Wednesday and Greene County had about 2 inches as of 8 a.m.
The snow was followed by “freezing drizzle,” Hendricks said, which turned to rain the rest of Wednesday.