I-80 Poconos area in Pennsylvania...stranded vehicles

[DiskDoctr]

They are still stranded for 16+ hours, avoid it if you can.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/megabus-heading-to-pittsburgh-stuck-on-interstate-for-over-15-h...

As a PA resident, I apologize for our state's 3rd world country level responses to these kinds of incidents over the past few years on MAJOR HIGHWAYS (including Turnpike).

Previous Governors would have been in a helicopter going to the scene to resolve the issue and push stranded truck off the road.

Not too long ago the Turnpike had similar issues and they wouldn't even move the concrete dividers to allow people to use the other, clear and closed side of the road to escape.

Sorry, warning you is the best I can do from here. Be safe and always carry a winter emergency kit and supplies for at least 24 hrs with you 🙂

[DrewE]

Usually the eastern states do better than that, too. It's uncommon for the major highways like interstates to close, and rarer still for them to remain closed for too long. I guess the problems in this case may be compounded by a semi truck or two wedged sideways across the road, and maybe in a location or position such that recovery is really difficult.

Sometimes it's not the amount of snow that makes the biggest difference, but its consistency and temperature. An inch or two of slushy snow that then freezes into ice is rather more treacherous than a foot of powder.

Mind you, I'm not suggesting that the Pennsylvania DOT is in any way covering themselves in glory here!

[Ski_Pro_3]

I don't get it. I live in the foothills of the Sierras, near Lake Tahoe. In the past 48 hours we have had over 4 feet of snow on the two major interstates; US50 and US80. Both have remained open other than for a couple hours at a time to clear all the snow. We are talking elevation changes of over 7,000' to get over these summits. How is it that California, for crissakes, can keep their roads open and the folks back East are in a disaster when they get more than a few inches??
Yesterday I drove to a ski resort that was on wind hold, whiteout conditions, but the highways still chugging along. Finally got to ski though!

Yes, that's ice on the beard;



(EDIT: Scaled image width.)

[DrewE]

Fixed clicky

Meanwhile in the Burlington, Vermont area, we got maybe two inches of snow and the roads are clear and easily drivable.

[MDKMDK]

Not a good day to travel anywhere in the northeast, from the weather network perspective.