Snowfall leads to flurry of vehicle accidents
Snowfall is leading to a spike in vehicle accidents throughout the county, according to a Fayette County 911 supervisor.
No major accidents had been reported as of about 10:15 a.m. Friday, but dispatchers were receiving a high number of calls for “slip and slides,” she said.
Road crews are working to clear roads and working long shifts, according to Jay Ofsanik, the safety press officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 12.
“We have all our crews working in the Fayette County area. They’ve been working since this morning and they’re going to continue working until the roads are clear,” he said.
About four to five inches of snow fell on the region by 10 a.m., according to Meteorologist Myranda Fullerton of the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.
A total of seven to eight inches of snow accumulation is expected by about 5 p.m.
Ofsanik said the extreme cold presented a challenge to clearing roads. Anti-skid materials are largely ineffective when temperatures drop below 20 or 25. As the temperature rises, anti-skid will take effect, he said.
“Until then, slow down. Take your time. We’ll do everything we can to keep the roads passable,” Ofsanik said.
The weather service issued an advisory in anticipation of the snow, which was upgraded to a winter storm warning when more snow accumulated than expected in some areas. The snow began in the predawn hours, around 3 or 4 a.m., Fullerton said.
The bitter cold throughout the week was caused by northwesterly winds and a cold arctic mass sitting above the region, Fullerton said. Over the weekend, southwesterly jet streams will cause a substantial warm up, with temperatures in the low 40s Saturday, low 50s on Sunday and low 60s Monday.
“That’s been the interesting component of this is the swing,” Fullerton said.
The temperature swing represents a shift from temperatures well below average to temperatures well above average within a few days, she said.
“It’s going to feel like summer out there for a little bit, especially compared to what we had the last couple days,” Fullerton said.