- Times Leader
First Posted:
WILKES-BARRE — From short sleeves to snowshoes in a matter of days.
One might think it impossible that after enjoying 70 degree weather on Monday, we can expect to be trudging through 5 to 10 inches of snow on Wednesday.
But you’d better believe it, say the meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Binghamton, who this afternoon issued a Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow to be in effect from 3 a.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday.
And there’s no “maybe” about it — a 100-percent chance, they say.
The Wilkes-Barre area, they predict, will see about 5 inches of snow fall Wednesday morning, with another 1⁄2-inch possible Wednesday night. Higher elevations, such as Greater Hazleton, could see 7 inches fall in the daylight hours, with another 2 inches accumulating into Thursday.
It’s unlikely any records will be broken Wednesday, as the record amount of snowfall for Nov. 26 was set back in 1977 at 8.7 inches at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
Snow is expected to begin between 3 and 6 a.m. Wednesday and continue through the daylight hours, tapering off Wednesday night to snow showers. Snowfall of 1 to 2 inches per hour is expected between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The impact, the NWS says, will be snow-covered and slippery roads. Travel from early Wednesday morning to Wednesday night will become dangerous.
High temperatures over the next two days should reach only into the low 30s, while lows will remain in the low to mid 20s, perhaps dropping into the teens by Thursday night in higher elevations.
Long ride? Take it easy
Commuters traveling to and from family gatherings for Thanksgiving are encouraged to take a rest from driving now and again, as driving in snow on slick roads can be stressful and tiresome.
Community groups will serve free coffee at rest areas through a program coordinated with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation designed to encourage drivers to take safety breaks during the busy holiday travel period from Wednesday through Sunday.
There will be safety breaks at rest areas along Interstates 80, 81 and 84, as well as at the Matamoras and Great Bend Welcome Centers, at various times over the weekend.
According t0 AAA Mid-Atlantic, this Thanksgiving is gearing up to be the most crowded holiday for roadway travel since 2007.
AAA estimates that more than 50,000 Wilkes-Barre-area residents will travel 50 miles or more over the holiday weekend — that’s more than a 4-percent increase over last year.
Nationwide, AAA Mid-Atlantic forecasts that 46.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend, the highest volume for the holiday since 2007 and a 4.2-percent increase over 2013.
Safe driving
PennDOT is urging drivers to be prepared for the snow and to change travel plans if necessary.
PennDOT crews across the state are monitoring forecasts and expect to extend crew shifts to have 24-hour coverage to clear roads of accumulating snow.
Drivers are encouraged to create an emergency kit for their vehicles with items such as non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel. Motorists should also tailor their kits to any specific needs that they or their families may have, including baby and pet supplies and extra medication.
