Culture

A Snow Emergency Has Been Declared In Erie, PA, After A Christmas Storm Shatters Several Weather Records

The reality of a White Christmas is beginning to sink in, full force, for residents of Erie, Pennsylvania. The National Weather Service reports that the city (and much of the surrounding area) broke several snowfall records over the holiday with a record 34 inches of snow falling on Christmas Day. And while the storm isn’t quite over yet, meteorologists are raving about other records that have shattered, for Erie saw 53 inches of snow fall in 30 hours. (For reference’s sake, the old one-day record, 20 inches, hails from 1956; and both the old 3-day record, 30 inches, and the old 7-day record, 39 inches, go back to 2002.)

GoErie reports that the city of Erie has declared a snow emergency, and Millcreek Township has joined suit. As a result, commercial and motorcycle traffic has been restricted on multiple interstates (where a lowered 45 mph speed limit is in effect) by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and motorists are being urged to stay home unless they absolutely must travel. Specifically in Millcreek, any drivers who embark onto roads without snow tires or chains may be fined, and on-street parkers are subject to towing.

At the moment, the Erie landscape looks like a sea of white, as seen in social media photos (some with much worse visibility than others).

https://twitter.com/thatgeekdad/status/945655369015099393

As one would expect, a number of additional travel advisories are in effect throughout the surrounding area, and CBS Pittsburgh has rounded them up. And for reflective purposes, here’s a serene driving video from Christmas Eve in nearby Albion, Pennsylvania. At that point, Erie had already seen 37 inches of white stuff, and things look much different (and less peaceful) now.

(Via CBS Local, Erie News Now & GoErie)