Potential Snowfall Totals Increased; Winter Storm Watch in Effect for Wednesday

Wednesday’s snowstorm will be worse than had been predicted, the National Weather Service says.

The potential snowfall totals for Wednesday have been increased, with the region now expecting up to 6 inches of snowfall. A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect.

The storm will start as freezing rain on Wednesday before turning to snow. “It may snow heavy for a time during the afternoon before snow ends during the evening,” the NWS said.

Winds of up to 20 mph with gusts of up to 30 mph are expected.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on Monday urged motorists traveling on Wednesday to proceed with caution.

“As we approach one of the busiest travel days of the year, we urge motorists to drive with additional care and allow more time to reach their destinations due to the winter precipitation that is predicted to fall through much of Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving Eve,” PennDOT District Executive Lester C. Toaso said.

PennDOT has at the ready 444 snow plow trucks and more than 100,000 tons of salt available to cover over 11,000 snow lane miles of state highway in the five-county Philadelphia region, the agency said Monday.

“Following the record-breaking winter of a year ago, our dedicated employees in the five-county Philadelphia region are ready to deliver the best possible winter service under the worst weather conditions,” Toaso said.

People traveling for Thanksgiving are advised to have their trips “completed by 10 a.m. Wednesday morning [to] avoid most of the trouble from this event, particularly north and west of the I-95 corridor,” the NWS said.