Snow squalls lead to multiple vehicle pileups in Midwestern and Northeastern US

January 13, 2016 3:45 PM | Skymet Weather Team

A fast moving snow squall system that covered the Ohio Valley and the Northeast US with snow caused multi-vehicle pileups on the interstate (I) 70 and the I-74 on Tuesday morning. As the snow moved eastwards, it led to a 15 vehicular pileup on the I-70 in Pennsylvania.

This incident unfolded close to the Centerville Road exit at mile marker 145.5 in Wayne County. According to the Indiana State Police the westbound route of the I-70 was closed for seven hours and what followed was traffic crawling at snail’s pace.

This incident unfolded close to the Centerville Road exit at mile marker 145.5 in Wayne County. According to the Indiana State Police, the westbound route of the I-70 was closed for seven hours and what followed was traffic crawling at snail’s pace.

On the I-74, the Indiana State Police said paratroopers were on the crash site where another multi-vehicular pileup included semi-trucks and passenger vehicles. The pileup occurred near the Indiana-Ohio border.

Only one to two inches of snow has fallen in the region but, it is enough to create slippery roads. One person died in the aftermath of the squall in Evans, late Tuesday afternoon. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the traffic had to be diverted on the Pennsylvania Turnpike because of an accident near the Somerset Interchange.

These squalls led to zero visibility in some areas and caused the roads to be covered in a short span of time.

The threat of snow squalls is still not over as more squalls are likely in the region but, their intensity will not be much. Along with this, a blast of arctic air will descend over the region. This will bring the coldest spell of this season so far. Temperatures will be settling at sub-zero levels. All this weather is expected to affect the region during the weekend.

Image credit: abcnews.go.com

 

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