PITTSBURGH — The New Year’s Eve forecast could make roadways slippery for many heading to a celebration. Channel 11 spoke with neighbors in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood who said a messy roadway won’t keep them away from the party.
“New Year’s is the best holiday ever,” Meredith Bonner said. “And the snow is never gonna stop me from celebrating the best day of the whole year.”
“I’m hoping we can just deal with the weather because we are going to be going to this party regardless,” Evan Bowers said.
Winter weather could impact road conditions in the City of Pittsburgh before and after New Year’s Eve celebrations. Napoli’s Pizzeria on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill said this is one of their busiest night of the year for deliveries, and the forecast is not making it easy.
“It will definitely make our night a bit more chaotic, which is already going to be super chaotic,” employee Madeline Bain said.
During the most recent winter storm, Napoli’s drivers walked up streets to deliver pizzas because the roads in the city were thick with snow.
“It was like this thick, right in the middle of the street,” Bain said. “The cars fixed it a little bit, but I live two miles away, and it took me 40 minutes to get home.”
We spoke with a man who said he plows driveways and businesses in Squirrel Hill. He said people should be prepared for slippery roads this evening based on what he typically sees in the neighborhood.
“It just seems like they hardly ever do them,” Tom Calvin said. “It’s like I’m out here doing snow too, and I may see one truck in a 12-hour period.”
The City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works released a statement ahead of the New Year’s Eve festivities:
“The City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works is entering winter weather operations ahead of inclement weather in the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 31, into the morning of Thursday, January 1st.
The National Weather Service forecast predicts up to 3-5 inches of snow in the City of Pittsburgh, which constitutes a plowable snowfall event. Currently, all Public Works streets divisions are preparing all available trucks with salt and testing all plowing equipment. Crews will be clearing steps, sidewalks, and bridge walkways by hand, starting tomorrow at 6 a.m. The Department of Public Works is also standing up a Special Response Team to support First Night festivities Downtown.
The City of Pittsburgh urges residents to forgo any non-essential vehicle trips during this winter weather event. Where possible, avoid parking vehicles on the street for more effective roadway clearing."
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