The current brief reprieve from winter’s chill will not last, as a widespread snowstorm followed by extreme cold are likely. Winter Storm Watches have been issued for parts of Central and Eastern PA ahead of Sunday’s snowstorm. In addition, an Extreme Cold Watch has been issued in other areas ahead of wind chills as low as 30 below zero next week.
We will have more details on Sunday regarding this life-threatening cold that will close schools for parts of next week. That may sound drastic, but temperatures near or below zero combined with gusty winds will cause frostbite in 15-25 minutes of skin exposure. And having a snowpack will only make temperatures drop further.
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Winter Storm Timing
Light to moderate snow will move into Southern Pennsylvania before lunchtime Sunday as the low pressure system begins to form in Southern Virginia. Precipitation will then increase in intensity as the system strengthens while moving northeast.
Moderate to locally heavy snow will break out between I-81 and I-95, encompassing nearly all densely-populated areas in the eastern half of PA. Light snow will be thrown northwest, in places like the Laurel Highlands to the Endless Mountains.
Snow ratios (usually 10″ of snow for every 1″ of liquid) will be around 15:1 in areas NW of I-95, and approach 20:1 across the interior mountains.
This will not be a long storm, which limits the maximum amount of snow. We expect snow to exit the areas from southwest to northeast Sunday evening, and even earlier in Western PA. This is simply not a Western PA event, as it’s a coastal storm.
Area A: Snowfall accumulation of 5 – 9″ expected. Roads will quickly become snow-covered, making travel very difficult and inadvisable.
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Area B: Snowfall accumulation of 3 – 5″ anticipated. Snow will rapidly cover roadways, leading to slippery driving conditions.
Area C: Snowfall accumulation of 1 – 3″ expected. Secondary roads are likely to become slick as snow covers them.
Don’t forget to share this forecast with friends and family!
FILE – Powerball logo displayed on a phone screen and coins are seen in this illustration photo.
PHILADELPHIA – A Powerball ticket sold in Pennsylvania matched five numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, winning $1 million, according to lottery officials.
What we know:
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The Pennsylvania ticket was one of several nationwide that matched all five white balls. The ticket did not include the Power Play multiplier.
Because no one matched all six numbers, the Powerball jackpot continues to climb. The next drawing will feature an estimated $1.5 billion jackpot, with a cash option of $689.3 million.
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Winning numbers (Dec. 17, 2025)
25 – 33 – 53 – 62 – 66
Powerball: 17
Power Play: 4x
The Pennsylvania Lottery has not yet announced where the winning ticket was sold.
What’s next:
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The next Powerball drawing takes place Saturday night, Dec. 20. The estimated jackpot is an astounding $1.5 billion.
The Source: This article is based on official Powerball drawing results.
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
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“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
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However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
