For many, snow turned area into wintry playground

By TAYLOR BROWN
Senior Reporter
tbrown@yoiurmvi.com

Younger Valley residents got to enjoy the biggest snowstorm of their lives.

Even with plenty of warning, snow changed the plan for nearly everyone in the Mon Valley this weekend — and for many, that turned out to be just fine.

Emmett Cieply, 5, and his sister, Haven, 2, made an igloo with their father at their home in Washington. Submitted

A powerful winter storm blanketed the region with heavy snow Sunday, quieting streets, slowing travel and sending residents outdoors to make the most of a day that looked nothing like anything seen in recent winters.

As of 2:50 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported 9.4 inches of snow in Pittsburgh. The total marked the snowiest single calendar day in the city since Feb. 6, 2010, during the second day of the “Snowmageddon” storm.

Across the Mon Valley, residential streets were hushed, tire tracks disappearing almost as quickly as they were made. Snow climbed to curb height in some neighborhoods, burying sidewalks, fences and parked cars, while plowed main roads barely stood out against side streets still packed with white.

River Decker experienced his first snow Sunday in Long Branch. He liked it until the snow flakes hit his face for the first time. Submitted

But despite the quiet that snow can bring, plenty of people were outside anyway — laughing, playing and bundled up with rosy cheeks and smiling faces.

In Monongahela, Michelle DeSantis and her son, Levi Parnell, bundled up and headed to Mounds Park for a day of sledding. The trip paid off in more ways than one.

“We went for some sledding fun and he was tickled to death on the way back home (when) he made $20 by shoveling a sidewalk for a neighbor,” DeSantis said.

In New Eagle, Heather Buechel checked in on a quieter group of storm-day residents — her bees. Winter, she said, doesn’t ask much of them.

“(There is) not much to do in the winter for bees, except make sure their front door stays mostly open

A message is written in the snow on the windshield of this car in Port Vue. Submitted

and clear,” Buechel said.

In Rostraver Township, Doug Finke’s driveway cleanup turned into a creative exercise. With only one shovel among the three of them, his daughters Savannah and Brooklyn improvised.

One grabbed a rake. The other used a broom. Elsewhere, snow-covered cars became message boards of sorts, with notes scratched into frosted windshields capturing equal parts frustration and humor.

Pam Bell said around 4 p.m. the car was stuck along side of the road, so she used

Johnathan Santo enjoyed Sunday’s snowstorm on the Monongahela River as he kayaked from Roscoe to Newell. Submitted

her finger to leave a simple message.

“STUCK. Don’t Tow” one windshield in Port Vue read.

Even after clearing, fresh flakes quickly returned, coating mirrors and glass within hours.

For many families, cleanup turned into play.

In Washington, Ethan Cieply spent part of his Sunday helping his children build an igloo. His son Emmett, 5, and daughter Haven, 2, were eager assistants.

“We made it ourselves and they enjoyed going inside of it,” Cieply said.

In Long Branch, River Decker experienced his first snowfall. He liked it — at least until the flakes started hitting his face.

A similar milestone happened in Rostraver, where Mario Toniolo said his daughter Frankie also saw snow for the first

Doug Finke and his daughters, Savannah and Brooklyn, used whatever tools were available to clear away snow in Rostraver Township. Submitted

time.

“She was born on the Fourth of July, so weather looks a lot different now,” Toniolo said.

Not everyone was immediately sold.

In Fallowfield, along Old 71, Albany Matthews said her dog Sally was unimpressed from the start.

“She was saying, give me back the sunshine please,” Matthews said, sharing a photo of Sally bounding through snow that reached her belly.

Other dogs embraced it wholeheartedly. Natalie Koons took several of her rescue

These are the participants in a massive snowball fight held Sunday at Fat Angelo’s in Fayette City. Submitted

dogs outside for winter fun, letting them bound through deep drifts and investigate snow nearly as tall as their legs.

For Michael Egger, the snow came with a learning curve. Originally from the South, Egger now lives in Elizabeth Township and said Sunday’s weather was a far cry from what he grew up with.

“(I’m just) a Georgia boy and his Georgia dog, trying to figure out what all of this white stuff is,” he said.

In West Newton, Cyndi Van Natta Gongaware said the storm highlighted the importance of community.

“With help from our friends, family and neighbors, we did just fine,” Gongaware said. “We live by the covered bridge in West Newton and we are disabled seniors. Our amazing young neighbor Travis keeps us

Beekeeper Heather Buechel of New Eagle said her hives were quiet as the snow piled up. Submitted

plowed out, the kids keep wood stocked up and Mack, our dog, keeps us amused.”

While many residents experienced the storm from their homes or neighborhoods, Johnathan Santo took to the water.

“I took a kayaking adventure from Roscoe across the Monongahela River over into Newell,” Santo said. “The river wasn’t frozen but there was about 2 inches of slush on the surface and it was getting thicker.”

While many stayed home, some businesses leaned into the day.

Dean Korber, owner of Deano’s 5 Town Grill, said his restaurant stayed open — and busy.

“We are open thanks to all of the people that got us out of Belle Vernon,” Korber said. “The road crew for Rostraver (is) amazing and the PennDOT workers on Route 88 — I got to the restaurant no problem and we are busier than ever.”

In Fayette City, Fat Angelo’s turned the storm into a community event, hosting a snowball fight and serving pizza Sunday afternoon.

The Steel Plate in Monessen also stayed open, offering free coffee and breakfast sandwiches to first responders and essential workers braving the storm.

In Roscoe, Linda Battaglia Difilippo watched the day unfold from her window.

“I have people sled riding across the street at the ballfields and there are about a dozen side-by-sides stopped over the Italian Club,” she said. “Must have been out playing in the snow. Wish I was young again.”

Sunday was a snow day in the old sense of the word – the kind that closed roads, canceled plans, and like the blizzards people still talk about decades later, gave the Mon Valley a rare gift: a day when most of the world shut down and winter fun took hold.