Local residents must have been saying “no thanks” to the weather
conditions on Thanksgiving with the first big snow fall of the year
hitting the area, but thankfully nothing major resulted from the
conditions.
Meteorologist Paul Head at the National Weather Service in State
College estimated that the area received about 3 or 4 inches on
Thanksgiving and that the area may receive another 3 to 6 inches
overnight Thursday. He said there will be “snow showers and
squalls,” and there may be more snow in the northwestern part of
McKean County.
“It’ll be a pretty nasty night with strong winds and almost
blizzard-like conditions in the open country, where snow will blow
across the roads, causing white-outs,” Head said. “After that,
starting Friday afternoon into Saturday, it will start to clear off
and will be warming up Sunday and Monday.”
Head said it will continue to get warmer throughout next week
with temperatures looking to be in the 50s with most of the snow
gone by the middle of next week.
“It may look like winter outside, but this is just a little
preview of winter,” he said.
McKean County Maintenance Manager for the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation Patricia Shinaberger said Thursday
afternoon that all the roads were open and passable.
“Crews have been out since 10 o’clock last night,” Shinaberger
said Thursday. “The second shift came on at noon, and they’re still
out there now. It is cold out there. But crews have been working
around the clock, and everyone should just slow down and take it
slow.”
The Bradford City Police log noted that they were alerted of bad
roads by PennDOT at 1:38 a.m. Thursday.
Foster Township Police Officer Thomas Munn said Thursday
afternoon that the department had a couple of minor accidents where
vehicles had ended up in ditches, but nothing was reportable at
that time. He said they had two minor accidents on U.S. Route 219
and South Kendall Avenue with no damage in one case and minor
damage in the other.
A dispatcher at the McKean County 911 Center said the roads are
bad with minor accidents all over the county.
In one weather-related accident, St. Marys City Police reported
that no one was hurt in a one-car crash that occurred at 7:25 a.m.
Thursday on Bucktail Trail, about a quarter mile east of the
Bucktail Village Plaza.
According to St. Marys Police, a car, driven by Jason Bryant of
Emporium, was traveling east on Bucktail Trail when the it went out
of control on the snow-covered road. The car went onto the south
berm and then across both lanes of travel. The car exited the road
on the north side and went over an embankment.
Bryant was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured said
police.
The car had moderate damage, reported police.
Police were assisted at the scene by the Emporium-based state
police.
One person was hurt in another more serious accident that took
place just as the storm was moving in at 8:55 p.m. Wednesday on
Route 646, 1/10 of a mile south of Deep Well Road in Keating
Township.
According to Kane-based state police, a car, driven by Mary L.
Borro, 49, of 20 Pendergast Ave., Bradford, was traveling south on
Route 646. The car slid on the ice after attempting to slow down
for a pedestrian on the road. The car left the road on the east
berm and traveled in a southeast direction, where it hit several
trees.
Borro was transported to the Bradford Regional Medical Center
Emergency Room by Priority Care Ambulance. No information was being
released on the extent of Borro’s injuries, according to a nursing
supervisor, but the nursing supervisor said Borro was not listed as
a patient at the hospital Thursday night.
Police report the car had moderate damage.
Police were assisted at the scene by the Hilltop Volunteer Fire
Department.
