Mirror photo by Gary M. Baranec / Dennis Hallinan watches as his daughter, Sofia, 10, grabs a gallon of milk late Friday afternoon at the Intown Convenience Store in Altoona.

Snow is expected to begin falling late this morning and could dump a foot of the white stuff on the Altoona area.

“We are calling for about a foot of snow plus or minus a few inches. People should prepare for the impact. It could be heavy at times in late afternoon and early evening, maybe at 1 to 2 inches per hour,” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Colbert said.

AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Walker isn’t sure about the depth of the snowfall.

“It will come down hard,” Walker said of the snow, “and by tonight may mix with sleet and freezing rain. Some of that will be heavy at times. As far as an amount of snow, it depends on the amount of sleet and freezing rain.”

“There could be a wide range of snow totals across the area,” he said. “It depends on the mixture. Altoona will probably get between 6 and 12 inches of snow. If we get more sleet and freezing rain, it could be 4 to 8 inches.”

Because travel will become treacherous, the commonwealth has imposed speed restrictions and a ban on all commercial traffic, including buses, on most interstates and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The commercial vehicle ban will be in place between noon today and noon Sunday on all interstates and the turnpike, except for Interstate 95 in southeastern Pennsylvania.

“It will be difficult to keep the roads clear, and travel will be difficult — if not impossible — in spots,” Colbert said.

Despite the weather, the Van Zandt VA Medical Center has announced that its urgent care department will remain open through the weekend.

The hours of operation will remain 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to providing full services within the urgent care, the hospital will continue to operate its community living center and medical units to guarantee patient safety and satisfaction.

Veterans who have questions may call the main line at 943-8164.

Tyrone Borough has declared a snow emergency effective from 9 a.m. today until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Residents who live on streets marked with snow emergency signs must remove their vehicles to enable snow plows to clear the streets, according to a borough press release.

Vehicles that are not moved could be towed. Owners will be responsible for towing bills and impound fees, and non-traffic citations could be filed under the Snow Emergency Ordinance.

Forecasters said it will become bitterly cold Sunday.

“The high for the day will be about freezing at daybreak with gusty winds of about 30 miles per hour. The wind chill will be 15-20 degrees below zero with the temperature close to zero. It looks like a classic winter storm,” Colbert said.

A significant amount of sleet and freezing rain, which can create a crust on the snow, could limit drifting.

“It will be blustery, and areas without a lot of sleet and freezing rain will be affected by blowing snow,” Walker said.

Monday will be cold with a high of 11 and low of 4 degrees below zero, he said.

Several emergency services departments have reminded residents that if they must leave their homes, to bundle up and keep extra blankets in their vehicles.

The release also reminds pet owners and farmers to check on their animals often, and replenish water and food for them.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.