Another blast of winter in the forecast

A storm is expected to arrive this afternoon, bringing 3 to 6 inches of snow to the region.

Western Pennsylvania is gearing up for a snowy weekend.

Shannon Hefferan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon, said 3 to 6 inches could start falling around 3 p.m. today.

Depending on geographical location, though, some areas will see more snow than others, she said.

In the Pittsburgh region, 4 to 5 inches of snow will fall. Closer to the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains, there could be 8 to 10 inches, according to Hefferan.

“It’ll be that fluffy kind of powdery snow,” she said. “If you’re expecting it to melt, it won’t.”

Hefferan said the heaviest snowfall is expected from tonight into early Sunday. Wind chills will dip to around zero degrees on Sunday and remain that low through Monday morning.

There is a winter storm watch from 2 p.m. today until 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

She said light snow is expected between 3 and 6 p.m. today, with snowfall rates picking up between 7 and 11 p.m. across Western Pennsylvania.

“Travel will be very bad during the overnight … with the snow amounts,” Hefferan said. “If you can avoid traveling, I would just definitely try to do that.”

By Monday, the snowstorm will exit. Temperatures will remain cold.

“It will be very uncomfortable to shovel, so you want layers,” Hefferan said. “When you do shovel the next day, bundle up.”

But that doesn’t mean the snow that’s accumulated is going away.

Hefferan predicted most of the snow will likely melt mid-week around Wednesday, as temperatures are expected to reach the low 40s.

Before that, Western Pennsylvania will be stuck below freezing, she said.

“The best rebound to get above freezing is Wednesday,” Hefferan said. “The cold will kind of last through Wednesday at least below freezing.”

Preparation in Allegheny County

Allegheny County Depart- ment of Public Works Director Stephen Shanley said Friday that the department is prepared.

When snow begins to fall today, the department will deploy 24 salt trucks installed with plows, he said. They will continually plow and salt county-maintained roads until the snow stops falling and all roads are clear.

The department is responsible for clearing 357 miles of roadway.

“We likely will add more trucks when the snowfall is expected to be heaviest Saturday afternoon through early Sunday morning,” Shanley said.

The trucks will use the department’s 9,387 tons of salt and 2,615 gallons of liquid calcium chloride it has in stock, which “is more than enough to handle the forecasted snowfall,” according to Shanley.

“It typically takes our drivers about one to two hours to complete their routes and then about an hour to return to the nearest maintenance garage, reload with salt and restart their routes,” he said. “So when the snowfall is heaviest tomorrow, there will be accumulation and slick spots on our roadways.”

The department is asking Allegheny County residents to stay off the roads, if possible, when snowfall is the heaviest so everyone will stay safe and salt truck drivers can clear the snow faster, Shanley said.

“If residents have to venture out, we encourage them to ensure that their tires are in good condition, slow down, avoid making any sudden turns or stops, leave extra space between their vehicle and the one in front of them and stay six car lengths behind our salt trucks,” he said.

If a resident needs to report a snow or ice issue on a county-maintained road this weekend, they should call 911, Shanley said. Residents can see who is responsible for removing snow from any road within the county by visiting the Who Plows My Road website.

Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works also said it is preparing for this weekend’s winter weather.

There is planned 24-hour coverage of streets beginning at 10 a.m. today until 6 a.m. Monday.

Streets providing access to hospitals, emergency routes and public safety facilities will be given priority, the department said.