Meteorologist: Butler County may get weeklong break from snow
Following Tuesday’s snowfall, Butler County may get a break from the flurries.
According to David Shallenberger, lead meteorologist for the Pittsburgh branch of the National Weather Service, Butler County likely will not see another snowfall until Tuesday, Dec. 5.
“It'll be a little while before we see any snowfall accumulation again,” Shallenberger said Tuesday afternoon.
Butler County saw its second snowfall of the year starting on Monday afternoon and continuing into the afternoon of Tuesday. The first snowfall came on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
Shallenberger said that the snow showers were, at times, heavy enough to cause low visibility for motorists — as low as a quarter-mile or less. Furthermore, wind speeds were above average in Butler County for much of the day, as high as 22 miles per hour, according to the NWS.
Temperatures reached a high of only 24 degrees Fahrenheit in Butler on Tuesday, not factoring in wind chill, Shallenberger said. The below-freezing air temperature combined with melting snow is a recipe for black ice, he explained.
“We keep tabs on is the road temperatures, because if you're dealing with road temperatures that are a good deal under freezing … the snowfall will still melt,” Shallenberger said. “But then that creates moisture on the road, and then that eventually freezes. And then it just compounds the concern for hazardous travel.”
Shallenberger says that during these situations, the National Weather Services keeps a close eye on traffic cameras pointed at major highways that pass through Western Pennsylvania. If conditions warrant, they will issue a special weather statement.
