Oh, snow! Accumulation expected in higher elevations
Courtesy of Ben Moyer
Oh, snow! Here we go!
Two weeks ago, the region was enjoying a late spurt of summer weather with unseasonably warm temperatures that broke into the low 80s. But winter is finally on its way.
Over the next few days, most people in Western Pennsylvania will be seeing some flurries and possibly even a light accumulation, with the higher elevations in southeastern Fayette County receiving the largest amounts of snow.
While the forecast is still somewhat uncertain, there is little doubt most of the region will see its first snowfall of the season.
“It’s a high elevation storm,” said Mike Kennedy, who is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. “There is still a pretty large spread (for possible accumulation).”
The ridges in West Virginia and Maryland, which were under a winter storm watch Tuesday afternoon and upgraded to a warning by Wednesday morning, could receive more than a foot of accumulation in some spots.
Moving north into Pennsylvania, however, the forecast is more uncertain. Kennedy said some models show the highest elevations in Fayette County receiving six to eight inches of snow, with other areas in the ridges seeing four to six inches. Lower-lying areas in western Fayette County and most of Washington and Greene counties might only encounter an inch of snow during overnight hours when the lows drop below freezing, Kennedy said.
“The lower elevation should have minimal accumulation and more likely occur in the nighttime hours,” Kennedy said. “In the ridges (the snow) it will be a higher elevation problem.”
The winter weather is supposed to arrive Thursday morning with the snow falling predominately overnight Friday into Saturday morning when temperatures fall below freezing, Kennedy said. The snowfall will continue intermittently – with a wintry mix during the day – until Saturday when temperatures begin to rise again.
He said they expect to have a clearer picture today on what the storm might deliver to the region, and they could adjust watches and warnings during the day. By early Wednesday, the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland were under a winter storm watch, which was upgraded to a warning later in the afternoon.
“It’s winter (weather). It’s fun to forecast,” he said about the unpredictable nature of this storm.