A winter storm with high winds is approaching Centre County. Here’s what you should expect
.jpeg "Snow falls on the Penn State campus on April 18, 2022. A storm with high winds and some snow is headed to Centre County.")
Another winter storm is heading Centre County’s way — but, according to a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, locals shouldn’t expect a repeat of last weekend.
Although a large part of the U.S., from Iowa to the Midwest, is looking at snowfall in some places that could exceed a foot, Centre County should see less than an inch of snow Friday and little to none over the weekend, according to AccuWeather’s Tom Kines. But that doesn’t mean there are no weather concerns this weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for Centre County — and portions of central Pennsylvania — from 7 a.m. Saturday until 9 p.m. Saturday. And Kines said his biggest concern wasn’t the snow or rain, which he doesn’t think will cause flooding; it’s the wind.
The NWS warned of 20-30 mph winds Saturday with gusts between 45 and 55 mph in Central Pennsylvania. In State College, Kines said he expected to see gusts between 40 and 50 mph starting Friday evening — with most of Centre County in the 30-35 mph range.
“There are two periods where the winds could get kind of strong,” Kines added Friday. “That would be this evening and tomorrow.
“Tomorrow’s a very windy day. I think most areas have a gust between 30 and 40 (mph), and I suspect some will have gusts from 40 to 50. It’s going to be a chilly day tomorrow; temperatures will probably be right around 30 most of the day and, with the wind blowing, it’s going to probably feel closer to 10 degrees.”
The NWS warned that tree limbs could blow down and power outages are possible Saturday. It warned motorists to drive with caution and for residents to secure outdoor objects.
On Sunday, AccuWeather still anticipates a windy day, but noticeably less windy than Saturday. Temperatures should reach the 20s but, with the wind, it could feel closer to zero. Maybe even below zero, Kines said.
“If you’re going outside, bundle up,” he added.
Kines expected the limited snow to start around dinnertime Friday, but believed it would quickly change over to rain before ending around midnight. Next week, however, Centre County might not be so lucky.
There’s a possibility the county might see snow early next week, but he said that remains a big question mark right now — mostly because it remains uncertain how far north precipitation will get from another storm passing by the county’s south and east.
“So, if you’re a snow lover, there’s still hope for you,” Kines said.
