National Guard, Salvation Army Helping People Stranded On Turnpike

CBS Pittburgh ^ | 1-23 | CBSPit

[tcrlaf]

A messy portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been shut down do to snowy conditions, and several groups are rushing in to help.

The Turnpike is closed in both directions between the Breezewood exit and the New Stanton exit so that crews can clear the roads. Additionally, all commercial vehicles are banned between the New Stanton exit and the Delaware River Bridge, and on the Northeastern Extension between the Mid County exit and the Pocono exit.

There are a number of vehicles stuck on the closed section of the Turnpike, and the National Guard has been called in to help.

According to a release from the governor’s office, multiple trucks and tractor trailers had trouble making it up a hill in the westbound lane of the Turnpike, causing traffic to back up and preventing emergency crews from reaching the disabled vehicles and clearing snow.

Turnpike officials say crews have taken fuel and rations to travelers who have been stuck since Friday evening, and the Western Pennsylvania Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services was working to send 4,000 meals as of 3 p.m. Saturday.

[pa_dweller]

Literally thousands of people are trapped on the Penn Turnpike around the Allegheny Tunnel

Same thing happened on RT 78 in Berks county (eastern PA) several years ago. That area is much more settled though so the people were able to be gotten to shelter and food.

I'm a bit surprised at this because there was a stink about the Berks thing and PEMA was supposed to have a plan in place for this sort of situation.

[wardaddy]

This is western PA

The other was eastern KY near London on I-75

[wally_bert]

One of my favorites, the snow combine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_qMikzSxE0

[FredZarguna]

Not where I live. My forecast was <1 inch Friday night, and 1-3 Saturday morning. Wound up with 10 inches by morning, and 14 inches by 2 PM today.

[FredZarguna]

An inch by midnight on the PA Turnpike is something you drive through all the time. The morons at the National Weather Service are so busy wetting themselves over a 0.3 C° temperature increase by 2040 that they can't even accurately predict weather over an enormous, population dense part of the United States of America 6 hours in advance.

No pissing contest. I just got done shoveling several tons of snow that was supposed to be "nothing to worry about." You can have it if you want it.

[PA Engineer]

Its as if it has never snowed there before and folks were unaware that the snow was forecasted.

The problem was semis got stuck going up Laurel Ridge. This caused a traffic backup that blocked the plows from clearing. This is an especially problematic area for snow. The Laurel Mountains get many feet of snow during bad storms. They are difficult to negotiate at times during minor ones.

I'm relieved I did not have to be out there traveling home from a work related project.

[Alberta's Child]

I remember that incident. It was on Valentine's Day, I think. It took four days to get all the cars off the road.

I seem to remember that was an unusual combination of circumstances -- with rain falling, then freezing quickly, then heavy snow falling on top of the ice.

[PA Engineer]

What a mess...the TPike, by Allegheny Tunnels is really an engineering feat when you consider the topography.

It really is. I have driven it hundreds of times. I also marvel at the natural beauty heading up to the tunnel. I am also amazed at the changes in weather when you leave the tunnel on the other side of the ridge.

I can see how this happened. I have also seen the same mess and change in weather on 22 over the laurel ridge at ridge rd. The weather can change in seconds.

[Alberta's Child]

What I've learned over the last four years is that the snowfall predictions for winter storms tend to be very accurate overall. The inaccuracy comes in predicting the track of a storm.

As late as Friday morning they were predicting 6-12 inches in my neck of the NYC metro area. The storm track was expected to run east of the city, dumping the heaviest snow along the Jersey shore and Long Island. It ended up coming through further north and west than expected -- which put my town right in the middle of the "24-30 inches" purple blob on the weather map on the evening news today.

This was the exact opposite of the first major storm last January/February -- the day after the Super Bowl, if I remember correctly. We ended up closing the office early on Monday due to the forecasts, and it wasn't all that bad at all. But Long Island and the Boston area got hammered with 2-3 feet of snow, and it was the start of the worst winter in Boston's history.

[PA Engineer]

I came back from the Y at 9 PM last night in a complete white-out. This morning, I looked out my windows to see a "dusting" 10 inches deep.

They all completely blew it. I was following the full page weather on weather underground. We were all joking about how they had gotten it wrong many times in the past when my daughter got a tweet from a Accuweather scientist she went to school with. He told her the models were all wrong and we would probably be hit.

We already had our dusting at sunset and woke up to 12" of packed snow this morning. Packed snow. That was a 3 tankful cleaning with my Husquavarna.

Agreed. Pennsylvanians in these parts are generally prepared for it. They just can't prepare enough when all of the predictions were so horribly wrong.

[The Great RJ]

Bless the Salvation Army. I was in Iowa during the 1993 floods and the Salvation Army was everywhere passing out meals and cleaning kits and not seeking any publicity. The Red Cross in the meantime spent more time on news conferences than aiding victims.

[CrazyIvan]

Maybe I'm paranoid, but my vehicle is prepared all winter. Down sleeping bag, Coleman lantern (for light and heat) with several spare gas cylinders, food, power inverter to run phone or laptop, toilet paper, etc. This in a Jeep with 2” lift, 32” all terrain tires, winch, and locking axles. I could probably survive for a couple of weeks if needed.

[freeandfreezing]

I wonder how many took the alternate Route US 30.

I've driven that road, and it is really scenic - and remote with some tight hairpin turns and steep grades. I'm pretty bold when it comes to driving in snow but that would be pushing it. Unless your truck had one of those upstate NY style snowblowers on the front!

[freeandfreezing]

I have also seen the same mess and change in weather on 22 over the laurel ridge at ridge rd.

True, and the fog in some areas around there can be tricky when you climb into a cloud.

I've ducked out early a couple of times to avoid heading downhill in the snow on 22 and 322. I wouldn't want to be on 305 heading east over the ridge if there was even a bit of snow.

[mylife]

love the laurel mts

[PA Engineer]

They are a beautiful and unique place. One of my favs too.

[mylife]

Yessir I give money to the salvation army

[mylife]

Ohiopyle is a trip

[mylife]

[PA Engineer]

Beautiful. The Laurel Trail is also a nice place to hike. It is high traffic, however it is worth it for all the changes in terrain.