Update: The National Weather Service on Thursday afternoon issued a winter storm watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon for central Pennsylvania, with a forecast of 9 to 13 inches of snow and a possibility of additional heavy mixed precipitation. ‘Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph could cause areas of blowing and drifting snow,’ the NWS said.
After light snow on Thursday, Centre County is expected to see a major winter storm on Saturday followed by bitter cold temperatures to start the week.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines said that snow on Thursday will begin later in the afternoon and continue into the evening hours, bringing 1 to 2 inches, enough to make for slippery roads.
After a mostly dry day with milder temperatures in the 30s on Friday, things start to go downhill.
Heavier snow is expected to begin early Saturday afternoon, Kines said on Thursday morning.
‘Once the snow gets here it’s sticking with us right through the afternoon and into the nighttime hours,’ Kines said. ‘The snow will be heavy at times. Travel Saturday afternoon and night will be very poor, at best.’
The State College area can expect 6 to 10 inches of snow by the time the storm moves out early Sunday morning. A factor that could impact snow totals is whether sleet and freezing rain enter the mix. That would cut down on amounts, but would make for tougher shoveling.
And you’ll want to get that shoveling done on Sunday morning because much colder temperatures will move in on Sunday afternoon.
‘There may be a few flurries around, but the big thing on Sunday is the winds picking up out of the north, and that’s going to bring in some much colder air,’ Kines said. ‘I would suggest people get out early on Sunday and shovel because they’re not going to want to do it Sunday afternoon and night because of the change to colder weather. It will certainly be more bearable early on Sunday than it will be in the afternoon.’
Temperatures will drop into the teens during the day on Sunday, and wind chills will make it feel close to zero. Sunday night likely will see temperatures drop below zero and with wind chills it will feel like 15 to 20 degrees below zero. Blowing snow and colder temperatures also may continue to make for slippery travel in some spots on Sunday, Kines said.
The brutal cold will continue into Monday, when Kines expects temperatures to be around 10 degrees and with the wind feel below zero all day.
After a cold start on Tuesday morning, a bit of a reprieve will be on the way with temperatures climbing back into the 30s.
‘It’s not shorts and t-shirt weather, but compared to what Sunday afternoon and Monday will feel like, Tuesday should be a much better day,’ Kines said.
With the heavier snow expected on Saturday, Penn State has made a few changes to its weekend sports schedule. Check out the full home schedule here.
The Bridal Expo of Central Pennsylvania, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed until Feb. 10.
