National Weather Service: Cold expected to hang around through weekend
Even though the weather was warm enough for rain on Wednesday, Dec. 10, the National Weather Service predicts it’ll likely be another week before temperatures climb above freezing again.
Shannon Hefferan, lead meteorologist at National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, said after Wednesday, temperatures are expected to stay below freezing for nearly a week.
“For potential warm-up, I’d say we’re looking at some time in the middle of next week,” she said.
Hefferan said Wednesday morning started with rain and transitioned to a mix of snow and rain for most of the county. She said northern areas near Venango and Mercer counties likely saw 2 or 3 three inches of snow.
“There was a steep cutoff for winter conditions in the north of the county,” she said. “We heard a lot of reports of crashes on Interstate 80.”
Butler County Emergency Services Dispatch said it saw an increase in crashes compared to normal, but no statistics were readily available.
While temperatures nearly broke 40 degrees by midday, Hefferan said it was likely to plummet down into the 20s overnight Wednesday into Thursday. The predicted high for the day is 27 degrees, with a low of 17 degrees.
The early parts of the morning will also see wind chill temperatures dropping into single digits.
“It’s possible that the roads will be slick tomorrow morning, which could make the morning commute more difficult,” she said.
On Friday, Hefferan said there is a chance for snow, but it may end up missing the area entirely. Temperatures are expected to climb as high as 30 degrees but drop back into the mid-teens overnight.
She said cold conditions and chances for snow will stick around throughout the weekend and into early next week before tapering off by Tuesday or Wednesday.
