Latest Winter Storm Catches Road Crews, Residents Off Guard

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The snow came in somewhat light but relentless, and the forecasters PennDOT uses had the trucks sitting plow-less as the storm moved in.

"It is not what we expected. We thought we were going to get a dusting to an inch, and it looks like it's going to be two to four," said PennDOT's Allegheny County Manager Angelo Pampena.

KDKA's John Shumway Reports:

As the trucks were recalled and the plows attached, word came the north was okay but the south was getting pounded.

"We are going to shift some of our resource to southern Allegheny County," said Pampena.

In the South Hills, there were plenty of folks who heard the early-on forecasts, but apparently missed the updates.

"I only thought there was going to be like an inch of snow," said one resident from the South Hills. "It's a lot more than I thought it would be."

But everyone realizes our neighbors south and east have gotten it a lot worse.

"Just live with it and keep smiling," said one person.

Meanwhile, at mid-afternoon on Route 40 heading towards Farmington, only one lane was cleared of the snow.

A plow made repeated trips along the road as a steady snowfall offset the work of its last run.

"My husband's a truck driver. He's down in that mess in Baltimore," said Linda Mardis, of Farmington.

Mardis and her grandson, Seth, set out this morning to clean off the truck, the porch and whatever else needed cleared off after the latest storm.

"I'd say six anyway, at least," she said. "I started about an hour ago doing two porches and this truck, so about an hour. Maybe it'll be an hour and a half, two."

KDKA's Harold Hayes Reports:

Justin Carrington works at Lady Luck Casino and moved here from Mississippi to take the job. He's a native of Las Vegas.

KDKA's Harold Hayes: "You've lived here how long?"

Carrington: "Since May of 2013."

Hayes: "Did you expect anything like this weather wise?

Carrington: "Nothing at all, 'bout tired of the snow already. I'm ready to go where it's warm."

And at a time when moving snow sometimes takes heavy equipment, the weather can be a double-edged sword for a business like Pinky's Restaurant on Route 40.

"There's different days," said Patricia Freeman, of Pinky's "It's challenging some days, as today it is. And other days, it's pretty good. They don't... the weather doesn't bother them."

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