County crushed under foot or more of snow
Between 12 to 16 inches of snowfall battered Butler County throughout the day Sunday, Jan. 25, according to National Weather Service of Pittsburgh.
Western Pennsylvania as a whole was impacted by the arrival of the winter storm, which moved into the region and began dumping snow around 2 a.m.
“So far, we’ve heard reports of anywhere between 5 and 8 inches depending on where you are,” meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said at 9 a.m. Sunday.
He said accumulation quickly increased after the storm arrived and would remain steady throughout the day before tapering off in the evening.
As a result of the storm, Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy declared a state of emergency Sunday through Tuesday that grants the city’s chief of police, fire chief and director of streets and public improvement the power to take action to protect residents.
Saxonburg also issued an emergency declaration effective 3 p.m. Sunday.
Some businesses and organizations have either closed, canceled or rescheduled their plans for Monday and Tuesday as a result of the storm’s impact.
Even though accumulation is expected to stop, Modzelewski advised residents to still expect traffic delays and cold temperatures Monday morning. The county, like much of the region, remains under a winter storm warning until noon Monday.
“How much delay you have is very dependent on how quickly crews are able to clear roads,” he said.
Butler County Emergency Services specialist Amy Marree said by 10 a.m. Sunday, only one crash had been reported in the county since midnight. She said people had seemingly heard the county’s plea to only go out if absolutely necessary.
Before the storm even arrived, one Butler County borough expressed concern Saturday about its lack of salt.
Chicora said Saturday in a Facebook post it did not receive its regular delivery of salt, so it will be applying a “minimal amount” of salt to borough roads during the storm.
The borough will still regularly plow the roads and apply the normal amount of anti-skid through the storm, the post said.
Throughout the week, Modzelewski said temperatures are predicted to remain cold, but no large snow accumulation was expected. Monday night and Tuesday morning will be the coldest, with wind chills expected to dip into the negative teens.
