Update: Cranberry Area Could Get Up to Eight Inches of Snow

Snow, sleet or ice will make travel hazardous or impossible Wednesday as a winter storm warning remains in effect for western Pennsylvania as well as parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland, according to the National Weather Service.

In other words, it's a good day to stay inside and roast chestnuts on an open fire, as "The Christmas Song" says.

Reports of icy roads and vehicle accidents were coming across the scanner steadily Wednesday morning.

The storm warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday.

Heavy snow—3 to 6 inches from Wheeling, WV, to Pittsburgh to Greensburg and 4 to 8 inches from Zanesville, OH, to Butler to Indiana—is forecast

Sleet and freezing rain may mix in at times, the weather service said.

Farther south, 2 to 4 inches of snow are likely where sleet and freezing rain are more likely to mix in.

Up to one-tenth inch accumulation is possible where freezing rain persists, particularly in the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland counties, the weather service reports.

Heavy snow is expected through early afternoon; precipitation will taper to very light snow or freezing drizzle this evening, NWS said.

Hazardous travel conditions are expected because of reduced visibility and snow and ice accumulation. Downed trees and power lines are possible where the most freezing rain occurs in the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland counties.

The National Weather Service warns that visibility could be as low as a quarter mile or less during heavy snow.

Temperatures will be in the uppers 20s to lower 30s.

Here is the latest forecast

• Wednesday: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 30. Breezy, with a east wind 18 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Total daytime snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
• Tonight: Snow showers likely before 10 p.m., then snow showers likely, possibly mixed with freezing drizzle. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Northeast wind 11 to 18 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
• Thursday: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 1p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 32. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
• Thursday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 24. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

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