Freezing Rain Advisory in Effect Starting This Afternoon

The first blast of winter cold came through State College and the region, reminding everyone that it is not in fact spring yet.

But the precipitation that tends to accompany such cold has remained unseen for the most part in the early weeks on winter. 

That should change today, according to an advisory from the National Weather Service that was sent out this morning.

The advisory is calling for freezing rain and is in effect from 3 p.m. to midnight, a nine-hour window that will likely include plenty of icy roads. The wide-reaching advisory is in effect for the Laurel Highlands and the the central and northwest mountains of Pennsylvania, meaning that the storm is a large and somewhat unpredictable one, so the direct impact on State College remains to be seen.

The NWS said to expect ‘a light glazing of freezing rain’ with total ice accumulations of ‘less than one tenth of an inch.’

‘The leading edge of light rain and light freezing rain will spread northeast across the region during the mid-to-late afternoon hours and continue through early tonight,’ the NWS said. ‘Temperatures in the upper 20s to mid 30s should dip a few degrees this evening before slowly climbing between 33 and 36 degrees after midnight, ending the threat for freezing rain.’

As always, untreated roads and walkways will be dangerous for travel during the freezing rain storm, so you’re advised to remain cautious both in cars and on foot starting at 3 p.m. 

We took a look at the AccuWeather forecast to hone in on the direct impact of the situation in State College. The freezing rain is expected to start at 5 p.m. before slowing down and picking up again at 7 p.m. It will slow down yet again for a few hours before another hour or so of precipitation at midnight. The will give way to fog and normal rain as the temperatures pick up, which will continue into the morning.

Check the latest AccuWeather forecast to stay up to date on State College’s weather here.