Our first taste of winter weather for the new year is heading our way. Scattered snow flurries and and snow showers are heading our way and a fresh round of snow moves in early Friday and could bring a half-inch or so of snow to much of the area by lunchtime. The weather will also impact the morning and evening commutes. PennDOT closed the I-279/I-579 High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes closed around seven o’clock Thursday night due to the expected inclement weather and they say the HOV lanes will not reopen for rush hour Friday morning . They are expected to remain closed to traffic the remainder of the day. Officials say the HOV lanes will reopen on Saturday in the outbound direction to accommodate traffic leaving the Steeler game. Additional information will be provided in advance of the reopening. A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for our entire area from 4 a.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday. A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for the higher elevations of Indiana, Fayette and Westmoreland counties. Temperatures continue to get colder and colder the rest of the week. By Saturday, high temperatures will only be in the mid-20s. Wind chills will drop into the single digits many nights across the area. (Photo: AP)