Up to five inches of snow expected Monday, continuing through Wednesday

There have been 11 40-degree days since the first of the year, but it will be a while before they return.

With Lake Michigan ice coverage well-below average, there will be plenty of open water to generate lake-effect snow.

The advisory – in effect from 7 tonight to 7 a.m. Wednesday – covers Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette and Greene counties. When we talk about typical snow ratio (snow to water) it’s 10:1, so if we get an inch of rain that would translate to about 10 inches of snow under ideal conditions.

Yet another round of snow and wind will quickly follow in behind Winter Storm Mars Monday through Wednesday, however details on how impactful this system may be are uncertain. Most of the snow should fall overnight, and warmer temperatures on Tuesday will limit higher amounts of snow we could see with this storm. North-northwest wind 8 to 17 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 25 miles per hour.

The State Highway Administration began pretreating highways and main arteries, spraying a brine that can delay snow accumulation on the pavement. So, don’t be surprised by quick bursts of snow today through tomorrow night.

NWS is calling for the possibility of one to two inches and upwards of three inches at elevations above 4,000 feet for on Monday.

Plus, light snow or snow is in the forecast for Wednesday.

Wednesday Night: A chance of flurries. Chance of precipitation: 60 percent in the day, 50 percent in the evening.

A pattern change that is taking place across the East will allow for another chance of snow early this week, as an area of low pressure may develop off the coast behind Winter Storm Mars. Plows should be able to keep up with it, due to the gradual nature of these snow showers.

Tomorrow: Mostly Sunny, Cold & Windy.

“It’ll be fairly mild Monday, so the roads will warm up, but it depends on how hard the snow comes down over night”, Kines said. Negative numbers for many towns in the morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday.