Season’s first big snowfall hits Mon Valley, western Pa.

The worst part of the storm is forecast for today’s morning commute.

The first big snowfall of the season hit Western Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning, coating the ground and roadways.

Speed limits have been temporarily reduced on several roadways in Southwestern Pennsylvania as a result. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced the limits just after 5 a.m. “due to the severity of the winter storm.”

PennDOT is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel, but for those who need to head out, speeds are now reduced to 45 mph on the following highways:

Interstate 79, Parkways East and West (I-376), Parkway North (I-279), Route 28, I-579 and I-70 in Washington and Westmoreland counties. The speed restrictions for I-376 extend to the Beaver Valley Expressway and in Lawrence County.

Commercial vehicles like that are not affected by speed restrictions on these or other roadways must move to the right lane, PennDOT said.

The Pittsburgh office of the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for much of Western Pennsylvania, in effect from midnight to 1 p.m. today. The NWS said residents in the region could expect total snowfall of 2 to 5 inches, with the heaviest snow forecast from 5 to 9 a.m. Many Mon Valley schools switched from a 2-hour delay to a remote-instruction day.

Officials in several communities throughout the Mon Valley said Monday they’re well prepared.

Charleroi Manager Joe Manning said the borough is ready for the snow, adding that residents should still use caution while traveling.

“They’ve got the plows on the trucks, they are loading them with boxes for salt, for spreading,” Manning told the Mon Valley Independent on Monday. “They haven’t really gone so far as to get into road pre-treatment yet and they’re prepared to call out additional personnel if needed.

“So everything, all the preparations are being made on this end. So we think we’ll be prepared. Hopefully, if it’s as bad as they say, they’ll be able to clear the roads quickly and efficiently and get people where they need to go.”

Manning said Charleroi residents can download the Savvy Citizen app, where the borough will send weatherand road-related updates.

Some Valley communities had issues with maintaining appropriate levels of salt last winter, but Manning and Donora Street Supervisor Dean Fronzaglio said this year they’re well prepared with tons of salt in stock.

Fronzaglio said they typically put out four to five plow trucks on a day during inclement weather, adding that the borough currently has 150 tons of salt. Fronzaglio and Manning both asked residents to drive carefully, especially around plow trucks.

“Use caution and safety if there’s a plow truck on your street; you don’t want to pass the plow truck,” Manning said. “It wouldn’t even make sense to try to do that, because what they’re doing is clearing the road for anybody behind them.

“So you don’t want to impede any of the plows or salt trucks or anything. And you want to be cognizant of where you’re parking so that the trucks can get around corners.”

Elizabeth Borough Manager Scott Craighead said they have a really small coverage area, so they only put out two trucks on days with snowfall.

“We’ve got all the salt supply ready, and the two trucks, and they’ve already gotten loaded, so it should be good,” Craighead said.

Allegheny County Department of Public Works Director Stephen Shanley said that as the snow begins, they will deploy 20 salt trucks equipped with plows. More trucks, as needed, will be added during morning rush hour, when snowfall could be moderate to heavy.

According to a statement from Allegheny County, its public works department is responsible for removing snow and ice from 357 miles of roadway. The county has 9,837 tons of salt and 2,615 gallons of liquid calcium chloride in stock for the winter season.

“It typically takes our drivers about one to two hours to complete our routes and then about an hour to return to the nearest maintenance garage, reload with salt and restart their routes,” Shanley said in his statement. “It probably will take our drivers longer than that (Tuesday) morning because of the added traffic on the roads during the morning commute So, there likely will be some accumulation and slick spots on our roadways at times tomorrow morning.

“Because the heaviest snow tomorrow is expected to occur during morning rush hour, we suggest that drivers leave for work earlier than usual. We also encourage drivers to slow down, leave extra space between their vehicle and the one in front of them and stay six car lengths behind our salt trucks.”

PennDOT issued a statement Monday saying it’s prepared for the winter weather and advising motorists throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania to limit travel if possible.

“The department is prepared and has plenty of salt and anti-skid on hand,” PennDOT stated. “Crews will be pre-treating major routes throughout the four-county region, which includes Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

“Anti-icing involves wetting the highway with salt brine before a storm’s arrival. The solution lowers the freezing point of water and slows or prevents ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm.”

PennDOT added that with freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form quickly.

PennDOT gave several recommendations for motorists who find it necessary to drive in the winter weather:

• Slow down gradually and drive at a speed that suits conditions.

• Turn on headlights. If caught in a snow squall, turn on hazard lights.

• Motorists should stay in their lane and increase their following distance.

• Use defroster and wipers.

• Keep windows and mirrors free of snow and ice.

• During whiteouts, motorists should come to a complete stop only when they can safely pull off the roadway.

• Do not stop in the flow of traffic since this could cause a chain-reaction collision.

• Do not pass a vehicle moving slowly or speed up to get away from a vehicle that is following too closely.

• Always buckle up and never drive impaired.

PennDOT also emphasized the importance of packing an emergency kit for vehicles, which should contain non-perishable food, blankets, a small shovel, warm clothing and water.

Drivers can check road conditions at www.511PA.com.