Snow, rain slam region
Temperatures likely to fall today, coupled with winds that could reach 55 mph
A maintenance worker for the Altoona Housing Authority plows the parking area at Pleasant Village after a snowfall on Tuesday. Mirror photo by William Kibler
Tim Ritchey, an employee of Henry Enterprises, Hollidaysburg, shovels a client’s driveway in the Mansion Park section of Altoona after a snowfall on Tuesday. Mirror photo by William Kibler
A maintenance worker for the Altoona Housing Authority plows the parking area at Pleasant Village after a snowfall on Tuesday. Mirror photo by William Kibler
Tim Ritchey, an employee of Henry Enterprises, Hollidaysburg, shovels a client’s driveway in the Mansion Park section of Altoona after a snowfall on Tuesday. Mirror photo by William Kibler
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A storm that began around dawn Tuesday dropped a little more than four inches of snow through the morning, then added a little less than two inches of rain by early evening, according to the National Weather Service in State College.
River flooding that was foreseen in emergency alerts the day before had not materialized as of about 7 p.m. Tuesday, with the rain mostly stopped.
"We're still in pretty good shape, depending on how much more rain we get, and how fast the snow melts," said Blair County Emergency Management Director Mark Taylor at that time. "There are no reports of flooding yet."
The storm entered the area from the southwest "on the edge between rain and snow," with cold air "locked in" coming over the Laurel Highlands, but with warm air advancing and eventually prevailing, according to Greg DeVoir, a meteorologist in the NWS office.
Total unified precipitation through early evening was about 2.5 inches, according to information from the NWS.
The temperature was not expected to go below freezing Tuesday night, easing concerns about slippery road conditions, but temperatures will likely fall through the day today, accompanied by winds of 25 to 30 mph -- gusting as high as 55, according to DeVoir.
More snow than expected fell on Tuesday, adding to several inches that lay on the ground from Saturday's storm.
Rain following snow brings concerns about flooding, due to the snow melting and because the snow prevents the rain from soaking into the ground and from entering storm inlets.
The wind brings concern about trees and their branches falling onto power lines, causing outages, which are "never good during the winter time," Taylor said.
As of mid-afternoon Tuesday, there were minor accidents, downed wires and stuck vehicles in the city and Logan Township, according to city Fire Chief Adam Free and Logan Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Blake.
In the city, all 14 plow drivers were out, working 12-hour shifts, according to Public Works Director Nate Kissell.
It takes 24 to 36 hours after the snow stops for the trucks to pass through all the city streets, according to Kissell.
"We're doing the best we can with the manpower we have," he said.
It takes two or three days before everything is "all clean," he added.
Logan Township's highway crew began work at 5 a.m. Tuesday and by mid-afternoon had made multiple passes through the township, according to township Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Blake.
In Bedford County, there were a few calls to aid motorists in disabled vehicles but "other than that, not bad," according to a state police spokesman. A barn also reportedly collapsed due to the snow.
Minor issues were reported around the surrounding counties, according to a 911 spokesperson.
A little before dark Tuesday, Tom Ritchey of Henry Enterprises in Hollidaysburg was shoveling saturated, super-heavy snow in the rain in a customer's driveway along Baker Boulevard.
Ritchey had been doing similar work all day.
His normal job is selling mulch and topsoil for a company connected with Henry Enterprises in Hollidaysburg.
Tuesday was no fun.
"It's killing me," he said.
He plans to retire in a year or two.
"I've had about all I can take," he said. "(But) I'm still out here doing it."
Dennis Patterson was shoveling out a parking space in front of his home in Pleasant Village, also a little before dark, also in the rain.
Tuesday's snow reminded him of much bigger storms in the early 1990s.
Once, he looked down the street and saw "little mounds" -- the only evidence of the cars underneath.
Those were times where you wondered where you could put it all, times when municipalities would summon dump trucks to get rid of the stuff, he said.
On the other side of the Village, maintenance worker Matt Gauger was driving a pickup with a plow.
He likes the work at Pleasant Village, especially the variety -- including that afforded by Tuesday's plowing, which had the benefit of keeping him sheltered from the rain in his cab.
City residents must clear their entire sidewalks within 24 hours after the end of snowstorms, according to Rebecca Brown, director of the Department of Codes and Inspections.
In case of ice or especially difficult circumstances, a path of only 18 inches is acceptable, although residents must cover ice with an abrasive material like salt or sand, she said.
The sidewalk requirements apply to owners of vacant properties too, Brown said.
Code officers on Monday hung reminders on the doors of property owners who hadn't cleared their walks from Saturday's snowfall, Brown said.
In general, city residents are compliant with sidewalk-clearing requirements, especially in neighborhoods where students walk to and from school, she said.
Another "sloppy" mix is likely for Friday, followed by rain, DeVoir said.
There is a chance of snow Monday, followed by colder and drier conditions the rest of next week, DeVoir said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.