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Erie County snow storm impacts: What’s closed still, how much snow has fallen

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Erie County snow storm impacts: What’s closed still, how much snow has fallen


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The snow emergency that has closed schools, businesses and government buildings throughout Erie County as flakes continue to fall on feet already on the ground hasn’t slowed the workload for area first responders.

Crews were out braving the elements Monday morning responding to a number of calls. They included a reported fire at the Millcreek Mall Pavilion, which was reported at 6:03 a.m., according to Erie County 911; a water break at Old Zuck Road and West Grandview Boulevard, according to Erie Water Works; and ongoing reports of vehicles stuck and/or abandoned on streets in Erie, according to the Erie Bureau of Police.

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The Erie Bureau of Fire wasn’t called out to any fires or emergency medical calls as of 7:45 a.m. Monday, but continue to deal with terrible roads, abandoned cars and fire trucks getting stuck, Deputy Chief John Herrmann said.

Additional resources including the Pennsylvania National Guard have been called in to assist in dealing with the heavy and ongoing snowfall that has buried Erie County since Friday.

The biggest issue for emergency responders over the weekend was making roads accessible, Brian Mesaros, Erie County’s emergency management coordinator, said Monday morning. Plow crews are continuing to clear those roads, with most opened Monday morning, he said.

Emergency management officials are starting to experience issues related to snow loads on buildings, Mesaros said, particularly on trailers and small structures. There were two reported roof collapses at a trailer park in North East Township on Sunday night, and a couple of roof collapses were reported in the county on Monday morning, he said.

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Mesaros cautioned people not to put themselves in danger by trying to clear their roofs on their own. There are contractors out there that do the work, although they might be busy, he said.

How much snow has fallen?

As of Sunday night, snow spotters with the National Weather Service in Cleveland measured 57.5 inches of snow in Girard, 50.2 inches of snow in North East, between 45.2 and 48 inches in Harborcreek Township and 42.5 inches near Erie from the storm, according to the latest data posted on the NWS Cleveland website.

And more snow is on the way, as a lake effect snow warning remains in place for Erie, Crawford and counties to the east and west through Tuesday night. Forecasters are predicting additional accumulations of eight to 15 inches for much of Erie County, with up to 20 inches possible in the far northeastern corner of the county, according to information on the NWS Cleveland website.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Saturday signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for Erie County to make additional resources including the National Guard available to support response efforts.

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Shapiro reported in a news release announcing the declaration that, between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, the Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents.

Vehicle restrictions

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Monday morning that Tier 2 vehicle restrictions remain in place along Interstate 90 from the Ohio to the New York state lines, on Interstate 86 from I-90 to the New York state line, and along I-79 from the Meadville exit to the highway’s end in Erie County.

Under the restrictions, vehicles including tractors without trailers, tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded trailers, passenger vehicles towing trailers, recreational vehicles and school buses are not permitted on those roadways.

Speed limits are reduced to 45 mph on I-90 from I-79 east to the New York state line and on I-86 from I-90 to the New York state line.

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Return to GoErie.com for updates.

(This story was updated to add new information.)



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Snapshot: Pittsburgh’s New Airport Terminal Celebrates Western Pennsylvania’s Identity

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Snapshot: Pittsburgh’s New Airport Terminal Celebrates Western Pennsylvania’s Identity


Designed by Gensler and HDR, in association with Luis Vidal + Architects, the transformed Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal aims to create a more tranquil passenger experience while celebrating Western Pennsylvania’s identity. Completed in November, it is entirely powered by its own microgrid that uses natural gas and solar energy. A skybridge connects the new headhouse—which con- solidates all major airport operations into a single structure—to a modernized terminal concourse. The roof, which consists of staggered peaks that frame clere- story windows, evokes the Allegheny Mountains, while branching columns recall trees. Augmenting the many nods to the region, the team included four verdant terraces fea- turing native plants, which are sustained by rainwater-harvesting systems.



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Pa. provisional ballot rejection rates dropped 11% after envelopes were redesigned

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Pa. provisional ballot rejection rates dropped 11% after envelopes were redesigned


Counties that used a redesigned envelope for their provisional ballots in 2025 saw rejection rates drop by 11.3% when compared to last year, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt.

The new look adopted by 85% of counties indicates which fields are for voters and which are for election workers, and highlights where voters must sign. The drop from 4.96% to 4.4% doesn’t include the nine counties that didn’t use the new design or Chester County, which had a printing error in November that omitted third-party and independent voters from pollbooks.


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The 11.3% figure is adjusted for voter turnout. More than 7 million Pennsylvanians voted in 2024 – which was a presidential election year – compared to 3.6 million in the 2025 off-year election.

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“Our goal remains ensuring every registered voter in our Commonwealth can cast their vote and have it counted in every election,” Schmidt said in a release. “As with the changes to mail ballot materials two years ago, these improvements resulted in more registered voters being able to make their voices heard in November’s election.”

Two years ago, the state conducted a voter education initiative and required counties to preprint the full year of mail ballot return envelopes. Mail ballot instructions and online application materials were also redesigned.

Five counties — Philadelphia, Berks, Butler, Mercer and Greene — worked with the state to craft the new envelopes to be more user friendly for both voters and poll workers.

“The purpose in leading the redesign effort was to reduce errors and have more votes counted, which is exactly what we achieved,” said Omar Sabir, the chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners. “An 11% decrease in ballot rejections shows the real impact that thoughtful design can have on protecting voting rights across Pennsylvania.”

The nine counties opting out of the new design were: Bedford, Bradford, Crawford, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Monroe and Wyoming.

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Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Tim Lambert for questions: info@penncapital-star.com.



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Anti-war protesters gather in East Liberty as McCormick, Fetterman laud U.S. action in Venezuela, Lee and Deluzio denounce attack

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Anti-war protesters gather in East Liberty as McCormick, Fetterman laud U.S. action in Venezuela, Lee and Deluzio denounce attack






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