Jan 6, 2024 By Karen Mansfield 3 min read

In advance of anticipated weekend snowfall, drivers are urged to use caution, slow down, increase following distance, and give snowplows room to work.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for portions of Fayette County, especially its higher elevations, ahead of a weekend winter storm.

The snowstorm is expected to slam the East Coast with heavy snowfall over the weekend, but the most recent forecasts indicate it won’t have a significant impact on the Pittsburgh area.

Snowfall is expected to move into the area Saturday morning and continue until Sunday morning.

However, it isn’t expected to snow everywhere, as some places are likely to get a mix of rain and snow, according to the Pittsburgh NWS.

Washington and Greene counties are expected to see less than a half-inch of snow, while three to five inches could fall in Fayette County and its higher elevations, according to the NWS in Pittsburgh.

Snow is expected to fall from western Maryland – causing tricky travel conditions for Pittsburgh Steelers fans traveling to Baltimore for the Steelers-Ravens game slated for 4:30 p.m. Saturday – to southern Maine, where a wide-range Nor’easter is expected to bring severe ice that could make roads treacherous, the NWS said Friday.

State Department of Transportation spokesperson Melissa Maczko said crews are “prepped and ready to go” in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, and have ample materials to treat roadways and keep roads safe and passable.

Maczko advises drivers to use caution, slow down, increase following distance, and give plows room to work.

“We’re continuing to monitor the storm and watch its track, and we’ll be ready,” said Maczko.

Southwestern Pennsylvania catches a break because the wintry conditions will occur over the weekend, when schools aren’t open and fewer people are on the roads.

“It’s a great opportunity to stay inside and watch the Steelers and stay off the roads,” she said.

Bill Modzelewski, a meteorologist for the NWS in Pittsburgh, said most of the snowfall is expected late morning to mid-afternoon Saturday, with additional snow on Sunday.

A brief period of freezing rain in Fayette County could also result in a glaze of ice on road surfaces Saturday afternoon and evening.

John Podolinski, public works director for the city of Uniontown, said the department has a stockpile of salt, ash and anti-skid materials as a result of the lack of snowfall in 2023, and the road crew is prepared to handle the storm.

He urged drivers to be cautious on roads, and to be courteous to snowplow drivers.

Connellsville Public Works Department foreman Jimmy Bigam said the city, too, is prepared to handle the snowfall, with two-man crews set to hit the roads when the snow starts to fall.

“Hopefully the snow will be out of here by Sunday,” said Bigam. “I always tell people to drive safe and use your best judgment. If it’s bad, stay home.”