The National Weather Service at State College has issued a winter weather advisory for Centre County as snow and ice are expected to impact much of Pennsylvania Saturday into Sunday.
Snow and sleet accumulations of 1 to 3 inches and ice accumulations between a tenth and a quarter of an inch are expected from 9 a.m. Saturday through 9 a.m. Sunday, according to the advisory.
“Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice,” the NWS wrote. “Travel could be nearly impossible.”
Ridgetops will see higher ice accumulations ranging from a quarter to a third of an inch.
AccuWeather forecasts precipitation starting as snow at around 10 a.m. Saturday in the State College area, followed by a wintry mix with sleet and freezing rain from the afternoon through midnight. Precipitation is expected to change over to rain early Sunday morning, with temperatures climbing into the mid-40s later in the day.
The forecasted weather is causing cancellations and other impacts around the area.
CANCELLATIONS
• College Township has canceled its Community Bonfire scheduled for Saturday evening at Spring Creek Park. The bonfire, which was intended to kick off the township’s 150th year celebration, is unlikely to be rescheduled, but future events to celebrate the sesquicentennial will be announced soon.
• The Penn State Eberly College of Science’s Ashtekar Frontiers of Science lecture scheduled for Saturday morning is canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date to be announced.
• State College Area School District Buildings will be closed and all activities in buildings canceled on Saturday.
PARKING & TRAVEL
• College Township has declared a snow emergency effective at 8 a.m. Saturday. No street parking will be permitted until 48 hours after the storm has ended and the streets have been cleared of all snow and ice to the edge of the pavement or to the curbs. All sidewalks must be cleared of all snow and ice within 24 hours after the storm has ended.
• Ferguson Township reminds residents that vehicles must be removed from township roadways after two or more inches of snow and/or ice for 48 hours. Vehicles in violation may be ticketed or towed. Sidewalks must be cleared of snow and ice of any amount within 24 hours after the snowfall has ended.
• Harris Township has declared a snow emergency effective at 8 a.m. on Saturday. All vehicles must be moved from township streets by 11 a.m., when ticketing will begin. Parking on public roadways will be prohibited until the snow emergency ends. Public parking for those without off-street parking options is available in Nittany View Park, Blue Spring Park, Yoder Preserve and the municipal building parking lot at 224 E. Main St., though residents are advised park parking lots are not typically plowed.
• Patton Township has declared a snow emergency effective at 10 a.m. on Saturday. No parking is permitted on township roadways until the snow emergency has ended. Residents and property owners are reminded sidewalks must be cleared within 24 hours after the snow has stopped.
• Beginning at noon on Saturday, the entire length of Interstate 99, as well as Interstate 80 from I-79 to Exit 173, will be under Tier 1 restrictions, according to PennDOT. Under Tier 1 restrictions, vehicles not permitted on roadways include tractors without trailers, tractors with lightly loaded or unloaded trailers, unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks, passenger vehicles towing trailers, RVs, busses and motorcycles. Speed limits also will be reduced and commercial vehicles will be permitted in the right lane only.
• A midnight clear for snow removal will be in effect at Penn State’s University Park campus from midnight through 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday. During those times, parking will be prohibited at all faculty/staff surface parking lots on campus, including Innovation Park. The roof levels of all five campus parking decks also will be closed beginning midnight Friday and will reopen by Sunday morning. Visit transportation.psu.edu/ for additional information available available overnight parking on campus.
