HARRISBURG, Pa. — Icy weather from a huge winter storm began earlier this week by dumping heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada and is predicted to bring ice and snow to the eastern U.S. in the coming days.
Ahead of the coming storm, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission are advising motorists to avoid unnecessary travel. There are even numerous commercial vehicle bans that will soon take effect.
Click here for more information on those bans.
“This system is notable for the fact that it’s going impact areas all the way from California to eventually the Northeast,” said Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
In the Black Hills of western South Dakota, snow piled up to nearly 2 feet in some mountainous communities.
A blizzard in eastern Colorado prompted the closure of every major road in the northeastern part of the state on Tuesday, leaving truckers stranded.
In Nebraska, the state’s Department of Transportation stated in a Facebook post that all roadways from Nebraska heading into Colorado were closed as of Tuesday afternoon. Snowplows were busy Wednesday trying to clear the roadways.
Interstate 90, spanning the western half of South Dakota, remained closed Wednesday and the state Department of Transportation warned drivers to stay off most highways. In North Dakota, accumulated snow caused authorities Tuesday evening to shut down Interstate 94 between Bismarck and Fargo, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Wet, heavy snow left tree limbs sagging and made driving treacherous Wednesday in northern Minnesota. Weather Service meteorologist Ketzel Levens in Duluth said snow had reached 6 to 8 inches in some parts of the region.
Forecasters expect the storm system to hobble the upper Midwest with ice, rain and snow for days, as well as move into the Northeast and central Appalachians. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch from Wednesday night through Friday afternoon, depending on the timing of the storm. Residents from West Virginia to Vermont were told to watch for a possible significant mix of snow, ice and sleet.
The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. The Trucker Media Group is subscriber of The Associated Press has been granted the license to use this content on TheTrucker.com and The Trucker newspaper in accordance with its Content License Agreement with The Associated Press.
