Local officials wasted no time in preparing for Monday’s snowstorm.
State College Public Works Operations Manager Eric Brooks says borough crews began salting roads at 9:00 Sunday night. Since then, borough employees have been working around the clock to stay on top of the 4 to 6 total inches of snow expected on Monday.
“Right now, a lot of the roads are still covered in snow, but all things considered, things aren’t too bad out there,” Brooks says. State College police confirm that the day could be off to a worse start, as no accidents have been reported yet.
Patton Township Police Chief John Petrick says his department has responded to handful of accidents, but each was a minor crash without injuries. He says that as long as drivers employ “common sense tactics,” there should be few accidents over the course of the day.
Petrick urges all drivers to delay their travel if they can. If you have to be out and about while snow is falling, he recommends leaving early, driving slowly and leaving a large buffer space between your car and the car in front of you.
The temperature and the expected length of the storm complicate Brooks’ job to keep borough streets safe. He says that salt becomes less effective once the temperature dips below about 25 degrees, which requires his crews to mix in an anti-skid component with the salt.
Once the snow stops falling, Brooks says borough crews will begin removing snow from downtown to free up parking spaces and unclutter roads. In the meantime, Brooks says borough employees will focus their attention on hills and intersections where accidents are more likely.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson Rick Kirkpatrick says this snowstorm, while potentially annoying for many people, pales in comparison to the storms from last winter. State roads are largely snow and slush covered, but traffic and plowing efforts are progressing smoothly.
Outside of one tractor-trailer accident that closed Interstate 81 for a short time Sunday night, Kirkpatrick says there have been no major accidents or roads closures. Several major interstates are currently under speed restrictions, including Interstates 80 and 84.
Kirkpatrick says PennDOT is preparing for a major storm to batter the eastern part of the state on Tuesday. While much of Pennsylvania is expected to miss the coming storm, eastern Pennsylvania and much of New England are expecting several more inches of snow.
You can check on traffic conditions and road closures across the state at 511Pa.com, or follow @511PaStateColl on Twitter for live updates.
Click HERE to see the latest AccuWeather forecast. And you can always check the weather by looking at StateCollege.com live cameras.
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