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Storm dumps foot of snow on county; more on the way

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Liberty Street in Warren was a wintry wonderland during a snowstorm Friday morning.

It’s sledding weather in Warren County.

The first significant snowstorm of the season struck the county on Friday.

The Warren County School District called a two-hour delay and some after-school events were canceled.

Shoveling was a day-long event.

Conditions were excellent for sledding.

The weather was not ideal for driving.

According to the National Weather Service, lake effect brought about a foot of snow to Warren by noon Friday with more on the way.

“It’s probably going to taper off later tomorrow (Saturday),” Meteorologist John LaCorte of the National Weather Service in State College said. “The winds are going to turn around more to the west and southwest.”

“You have a good solid foot,” LaCorte said Friday afternoon. “Before it’s all said and done, closer to 20 inches.”

The same storm caused havoc in Erie County on Thursday night, with a multi-vehicle crash causing the westbound lane of I-90 to be shut down overnight.

There were several reported crashes in Warren County related to slippery conditions, but not an extraordinary number, according to Public Safety Director Todd Lake. “It’s been pretty quiet all day,” he said.

In Warren County, PennDOT had plenty of time to prepare for the snow event.

“We had time to get things ready and staged so we were prepared to take on the storm as needed and make sure that we got things cleaned off as quickly as possible,” PennDOT’s Michele Morningstar said.

Motorists should not expect roads to be completely clear at all times during a snow storm. There are 23 plow routes in the county and each is about 44 miles long, she said.

PennDOT is ready for the next event, Morningstar said. Starting Dec. 1, personnel were on station 24/7 ready to respond to any sudden onset event. Salt buildings are full and other materials including skid and salt brine are also ready for application.

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