Crashes Reported in Centre County as Snow Accumulates

UPDATED @ 9:14 p.m. Sunday: Centre County motorists will find a couple of weather-related road closures Sunday night, the state Department of Transportation announced.

Interstate 80 eastbound between the Kylertown interchange in Clearfield County and mile marker 144 in Centre County is closed, according to the announcement. PennDOT cited a tractor-trailer crash. A detour makes use of state Route 53 and state Route 144.

Also, state Route 350 in Centre County is closed from the intersection of State Street and Ponderosa Road in Rush Township to the intersection with state Route 4027 in Snyder Township, Blair County, according to PennDOT. That closure also was prompted by a tractor-trailer crash. A detour makes use of Interstate 99, U.S. Route 322 and state Route 504.

A portion of U.S. Route 322 between Philipsburg and Port Matilda was reported to be closed, as well.

———-

Earlier report, posted @ 5:30 p.m. Sunday:

A late-winter blast of snow covered Centre County roadways Sunday afternoon. A large volume of crashes was reported across the county, from Taylor Township in the south to Penns Valley in the east and Philipsburg in the west.

One was reported on Interstate 99 in the southern part of Centre County, in Taylor Township, according to emergency radio communications.

In Pine Grove Mills village, emergency responders temporarily closed state Route 26 at state Route 45 about 5 p.m. A vehicle incident — with no injuries — appeared to have happened on state Route 26 where the roadway crosses over Pine Grove Mountain.

Crashes also were reported on U.S. Route 322 in the Philipsburg area. In Clearfield County, a wreck involving two tractor-trailers and three passenger vehicles was reported on Interstate 80.

According to a post on AccuWeather.com, a winter weather advisory will remain in effect until 4 a.m. Monday for the State College area. Total accumulations are expected in the three- to six-inch range, according to forecasts. Snowfall is expected to slow to a stop after midnight.

The advisory warns that rapidly deteriorating road conditions are likely, and that ‘initially wet roadways may allow a layer of ice to form on untreated roadways beneath the snow.

‘The heavy snow could cling to trees and power lines … and the gusty winds may lead to some power outages,’ it reads.

Related coverage

• Penn State Declares Weather Delay at University Park (March 7, 2011)
  

• Weekend Flood Watch Set for Central Pennsylvania (March 4, 2011)