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This tractor trailer could not quite make it to the top of a snowy West Main Street early in Wednesday's storm. Traffic in its lane was delayed for a substantial period of time. Similar incidents were experienced throughout Somerset County as travelers made their way to and from work. (Staff Photo by Roger Vogel / December 26, 2012) |
Weather observers and residents alike were stunned by the amount of snow Somerset County received over night. The county received about 7 inches of snowfall starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
National Weather Service observer A.J. Jarosz said he was surprised by the totals.
"I expected about three to four inches, not seven," he said. "It's pretty bad. Last night, I measured about an inch."
The snow turned into freezing rain in the afternoon until late evening, and then back to snow again, he said.
"Well, at least we had a white Christmas. But now it looks like were gonna have a white New Years, white Easter and everything else," he quipped.
Local weather observer Steve Shaulis was concerned about the snow turning into freezing rain.
"We don't need that," he said. "The roads are packed down with snow and if freezing rain hits that, it's gonna turn the roads into an ice skating rink."
He measured approximately 6 1/2 to 7 inches at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Joe Kelemen, PennDOT Somerset County Maintenance Manager, said that crews will be plowing snow for the duration of the snowstorm.
"We're pretty much strictly plowing," he said around 1 p.m. Wednesday. "We have 46 trucks hitting the mains first and as we get the mains cleaned up we'll hop off and try to catch the secondaries."
