Ice storm warning issued as sleet and freezing rain threaten Thursday morning commute

The National Weather Service has issued an Ice Storm Warning for our area as sleet and freezing rain is expected to impact much of the region.

A wintry mix will impact the area Wednesday into Thursday. This system will begin as a few snow showers Wednesday afternoon before transitioning over to freezing rain and sleet Wednesday night.

The change over to ice will begin around midnight Wednesday and continue into Thursday morning. The Thursday morning commute will likely be very slick as significant ice accumulations are expected area wide.

Just a thin glaze of ice is enough to slick up any untreated road or sidewalk and most of the area should expect to see more than that. The highest ice accumulation totals are expected in the Laurels with 0.25" to 0.50" of ice accumulation. The rest of the area should expect 0.10" to 0.25".

Due to this, an Ice Storm Warning is in effect for Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Somerset, and portions of Indiana County through Thursday morning.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Centre, Huntingdon, Cameron, Elk, Jefferson, and portions of Indiana County through Thursday morning.

Winds are also expected to gust up to 25 MPH. Power outages are possible due to the weight of the ice and the gusty winds.

Officials say power outages and downed trees are likely, and travel is strongly discouraged.

PennDOT officials say multiple area roads are expected to be restricted, including the entire length of Interstate 99, as well as Route 22, from Route 119 to I-99, and Route 22/322, from I-81 to I-99.

This system will come to an end by Thursday afternoon as just plain rain and quiet weather will return by Friday.