PITTSBURGH -- Sleet and icy conditions in western Pennsylvania caused one major problem after another Wednesday morning -- on top of hundreds of school closings and delays.

Freezing rain that fell overnight left side streets covered with sheets of ice. Then, the rain changed over to snow -- and it was fairly heavy in some areas, according to WTAE's Weather Watch 4 meteorologists.

The National Weather Service said the snow is expected to subside by early afternoon. Nearly 6 inches had fallen in the Pittsburgh area by 7 a.m., with another 1 to 2 inches expected through the day.

Interstate 79 in Butler County was closed from Cranberry to Portersville because of icy conditions and two jackknifed tractor-trailers. Northbound lanes reopened shortly after 7 a.m. Southbound lanes are still closed.

Many people were also dealing with power outages. Duquesne Light reported about 10,000 customers without electricity early Wednesday, while Allegheny Power had about 2,700 customers with their service knocked out.

Public Transit:

For those who can't stay home, the Port Authority said public transit service is limited Wednesday.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County's trolley lines are still shut down because of ice and snow on the tracks and overhead wires.

The Port Authority said some of the worst-hit areas for service are Beechview and Arlington Heights.

The authority said the reason behind bus limitations is dropping temperatures, which are icing over roadways that were cleared earlier in the day.

A winter storm warning is in effect for the WTAE Channel 4 Action News viewing area until 6 p.m. (See Complete List Of Counties)

---

Air Travel

Those traveling to and from Pittsburgh International Airport should check flight times frequently. All runways are in working order, but many flights arriving from other cities have been delayed or canceled.

To check your flight status, visit FlyPittsburgh.com.

---

Stay with Channel 4 Action News and ThePittsburghChannel.com for updated forecasts from the Weather Watch 4 meteorologists.

---

Do you have weather-related digital pictures? Please click here to share them in ThePittsburghChannel.com's Community Slideshow, or e-mail to photos@thepittsburghchannel.com.

• Get Free Alerts Sent To Your E-Mal Or Cell Phone:
  Severe Weather Alerts | School Closings & Delays
• Breaking News And Weather: Download Our Free Desktop Alert

---