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DAN NEPHIN Associated Press Writer

PITTSBURGH — Tens of thousands of people were still without power across Pennsylvania on Monday as yet another winter storm bore down on the snow-weary region.

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Cory Wagner of Elizabethtown, Pa., clears snow from U.S. Route 50 after a winter storm in Annapolis, Md. on Sunday.

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Power companies in western Pennsylvania struggled with snow-covered roads as they tried to restore electricity to customers — some of whom were entering their third day without power.

Meanwhile, forecasters are predicting another major winter storm will roll into the mid-Atlantic this evening, socking the Philadelphia region with its third big snowfall since the start of December.

After more than 28 inches fell in Philadelphia over the weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting snowfall of 12 inches to 18 inches for the upcoming storm, and another two-footer is possible.

Even if the snowfall is less than earlier storms, it could cause more problems because of its timing, meteorologist Valerie Meola said. The season’s other two big storms have arrived at the start of the weekend, not in the middle of the work week.

An accumulation of more than 9.2 inches would make this winter the snowiest on record in Philadelphia, Meola said.

“Getting around is a pain right now as it is, so slushy and sloppy,” said Meghan Garaghan as she stocked up on staples and sweets at a downtown Philadelphia supermarket late Monday afternoon. “I don’t want to think about what it’s going to be like with another foot and a half of snow dumped on top of this mess.”

In western Pennsylvania, residents were still trying to dig out from under a heavy snowfall that brought down trees and knocked out power to more than 275,000 customers at the height of the storm, prompting Allegheny County to open warming centers where residents stuck without heat could seek refuge.

About 65,000 Allegheny Power customers in southwestern Pennsylvania were still without electricity on Monday, said spokesman Doug Colafella.

“Obviously it’s one of the worst snow storms we ever had. It was wet heavy snow and that caused widespread damage to our distribution system,” he said.

Duquesne Light reported 4,300 customers were without power, down from 57,000 on Saturday morning.

Both companies hope to restore power to most customers by Monday evening, although some will have to wait longer.

Among the residents affected by the storm were Georgiana Myles, 83, and her husband of 66 years, Clarence, 84. They spent roughly two days without power and heat because of the storm.