Winter storm dumps 6 or more inches of snow in parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania

Some areas of Southwestern Pennsylvania saw 6 or more inches of snow from Friday evening through Saturday morning, exceeding by a few inches what forecasters had predicted for the winter storm.

The heaviest band of snow pushed through southern Allegheny County, after dumping up to 11 inches in areas of eastern Ohio, according to Matt Brudy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Moon office.

Area accumulations reported by the weather service as of 9 a.m. Saturday included: 6.5 inches in Glassport and 5 inches in Jefferson Hills, both in Allegheny County; 6 inches in Latrobe; and 7 inches in Hopwood, Fayette County.

Snowfall ranged between 6 inches and 9 inches in the higher elevations of Westmoreland, Fayette and Indiana counties, according to Brudy.

“The amounts in that heavier band of snow ended up being a little more than we had expected,” he said. “The ridges panned out as we had forecast.”

Other reported snow totals ranged from just 2 inches in Ambridge, Slippery Rock and Franklin to seven to eight “fluffy” inches in Bethel Park, according to Jill Szwed, a meteorologist with TribLive news partner WTAE.

Some scattered flurries were predicted through Saturday afternoon, with the potential for some squalls adding up to 2 inches of snow, mostly north of Pittsburgh, Brudy said.

Those squalls he said could bring reduced visibility.

“If you’re on the road, take it easy,” Brudy advised. “Pull off to the side of the road, if necessary.”

As the flakes fade, the wind is expected to pick up, said Szwed, leading to a wind chill in the single digits Sunday morning.

Once the sun is out, temperatures should reach close to 40 degrees on Sunday, followed by a warming trend through the middle of next week, with highs peaking in the mid 50s, according to Szwed.