Storm Catches Many By Surprise

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Snow was in the forecast, but the amount seemed to take everyone by surprise.

Road crews were among those surprised as conditions got so bad that drivers were forced to ditch their cars.

On Interstate 279 abandoned cars still littered both sides of the road Tuesday morning.

While road conditions are improving, those abandoned vehicles need to be removed. Road crews were unable to properly plow or treat parts of the road due to abandoned cars in the left lane as well as the breakdown lane.

What didn't help matters was the holiday on Monday. Initially predicted to be a minor storm, it intensified as it closed in on western Pennsylvania.

The snow rapidly started to coat the roadways and crews were forced to react to it.

"We still had to battle some rush hour traffic, but it hurt because we had a skeleton crew out. Our blue collar people were off [Monday] so we had to call people in to work the holiday when it started to snow," Pittsburgh Public Works Director Rob Kaczorowski said.

Tow crews are currently working to remove the vehicles from I-279.

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