Winter storm on western Pennsylvania, possible 10-18 inches near Lake Erie

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – If you don’t like snow and are thinking of heading to Erie or along the shores of Erie Lake, just don’t do it for the next few days.

A winter storm patrol was issued for Crawford and the entire Erie County on Wednesday before 7 p.m.

Meteorologist Ron Smiley says there will be a chance of 10-18 inches of snow tonight along with strong winds up to 30-40 miles per hour and gusts reaching 50 miles per hour!

Technically a blizzard could be declared. Warnings of blizzards are made in case of wind over 35 miles per hour and snowfall, leaving visibility less than a quarter mile.

Snow showers with a lake effect are an indirect part of a major winter storm system.

Snow showers with a lake effect develop due to the cold wind that blows over much warmer water.

The actual system of winter storms will also bring snowfall to southern places such as Interstate 70. On some hills, even in West Virginia, it can also snow.

In the next few days most will not have much snow. But ordinary suspects will see a lot of snow. Be aware of the weather when traveling. #upwithKDKA #KDKAwx pic.twitter.com/L2fkwv5unD

– Ron Smiley ???? (@RonSmileyWx) November 26, 2018

Occasionally snowfalls can be a minor nuisance for parts of western Pennsylvania south of Interstate 80, with a decent amount of snow also observed in the usual supposed locations with a possible 3-5 inches of snow in Laurel Highland; this includes the counties of Somerset and Bedford, as well as parts of the counties of Westmarland and Fayette.

If you have plans to drive east on the highway, traffic can sometimes be slowed down. The snow is expected to start falling tonight and may continue until Wednesday evening.

This is once again a reminder at the start of the season that winter is approaching and you need to take precautions to be prepared.