Another round of winter weather could make for difficult travel on Wednesday around the region.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday for much of Central Pennsylvania, including all of Centre County.
Snow of varying intensity will be followed by a mix of sleet and freezing rain. According to AccuWeather, snow totals in the State College are expected to be 3 to 6 inches.
Ice accumulations of about one-tenth of an inch are expected as well.
While snow may begin around 7 a.m., the heaviest of it will come in the late morning to early afternoon, falling at a rate of of 1 to 2 inches an hour for three or four hours before changing to freezing, according to the NWS advisory.
AccuWeather forecasts the precipitation will changeover to freezing rain at about 3 p.m. and will continue into late Wednesday night.
‘The ice will result in difficult travel conditions, including during the evening commute on Wednesday,’ according to the winter weather advisory. Be prepared for reduced visibilities at times.’
College Township and Harris Township has declared a snow emergency, effective 7 a.m. Wednesday, meaning no street parking will be permitted until after the storm has ended or all streets have been cleared of snow and ice. Ferguson Township and Patton Township reminded residents and businesses that no street parking is permitted when snow accumulation reaches 2 inches.
District 6 high school basketball tournament games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed until Thursday, and games scheduled for Thursday have been postponed until Friday.
Penn State’s Center for the Performing Arts posted on social media that the performance of ‘Beautiful — The Carole King Musical’ scheduled for Wednesday night is still on, but tickets can be exchanged for another upcoming performance of the show by calling 1-800-ARTS-TIX or visiting the Eisenhower Auditorium box office no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
PennDOT announced that restrictions will be in place on a number of highways. Those include a full commercial vehicle ban, starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, on Interstate 99 from I-80 to the Turnpike. Also at 6 a.m. Wednesday, the following vehicles will be prohibited on I-80 from I-79 to the I-99 interchange:
- empty, straight CDL-weighted trucks;
- all Large Combination Vehicles (double trailers);
- tractors hauling empty trailers;
- any trailers pulled by motorcycles, passenger vehicles, pickup trucks or SUVs;
- all motorcycles; and
- all recreational vehicles and RVs.
At noon on Wednesday, PennDOT will prohibit those vehicles on highways including I-80 from I-99 to the New Jersey state line.
For the full list of impacted roads around the state, check here. To see current road conditions and speed restrictions on state highways, visit 511PA.com.
“This storm could bring with it a travel mess and so I encourage everyone who can stay off the roads to do so tomorrow,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release. “Be sure to check your local weather and road conditions and heed the advice of local emergency responders and personnel, and, as always, check on your neighbors, especially the elderly.”
