Pittsburgh Weekend Winter Storm: Initial Snow Predictions

PITTSBURGH, PA — Time to run out for that bread, milk and toilet paper, Pittsburgh. A major winter snowstorm could strike in the latter part of the weekend.

Two well-known forecasting brands are predicting southwestern Pennsylvania will get clobbered by the storm, which could arrive Sunday afternoon and extend well into Martin Luther King Day.

The Weather Channel is forecasting an inch of snow on Sunday, 5 to 8 inches on Sunday night and 1 to 3 inches on Monday for total accumulations ranging from 7 to 12 inches.

State College-based AccuWeather is predicting 4 to 8 inches Sunday night and 4 to 8 inches on Monday for total accumulations of 8 to 16 inches.

AccuWeather said the storm could intensify enough to become what is known as a "bomb cyclone." A bomb cyclone is a storm that rapidly intensifies enough to grab large amounts of moisture because of strengthening winds and then unload heavy precipitation.

"Uncertainty remains with regards to the strength and exact track of the system, which will affect snowfall amounts," the statement said.

Snow total forecasts likely will be updated as the storm gets closer to the region.

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