Gov. Shapiro Declares Emergency, PennDOT Imposes Vehicle Restrictions Ahead Of Winter Storm

By Peter Hall, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

January 23, 2026

Interstate highways, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and other major highways will close to trucks and other large vehicles at midnight Saturday in anticipation of the winter storm forecast to blanket the region, state officials said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency proclamation Friday afternoon, saying it would allow the commonwealth to access funds and make resources available to prepare for and respond to impacts from the storm. The National Weather Service said snow accumulations would exceed 12 inches across much of the state by Monday.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said crews were pretreating roads across the commonwealth and would work around the clock to keep them clear and passable when the snow begins early Sunday. But the intensity of the storm, with snow falling one or two inches per hour, means roads won’t be completely free of ice and snow until the storm clears, he said.

“For us, the rate of snowfall is as important as the amount of overall snow,” Carroll said in a news conference with other public safety and transportation officials Friday.

PennDOT is imposing a Tier 4 travel restriction, which prohibits commercial motor vehicles on the highways. Also prohibited are school buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, recreational vehicles/motorhomes and passenger vehicles towing trailers.

The weather system formed Friday in the Rocky Mountains and southern Great Plains. It is forecast to spread snow and ice across a swath of the eastern half of the country this weekend, continuing into next week. It will be accompanied by bitter cold temperatures through next week, with high temperatures in the teens and low 20s.

“We know that this storm is or has the potential to have major impacts across the commonwealth, not just during the storm, but for days afterward,” Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said.

PEMA is coordinating with state and federal agencies and county emergency officials to review likely impacts from the storm and assess the state’s readiness. The agency has opened its Commonwealth Response Coordination Center, where multiple state agencies and other organizations can work together efficiently, Padfield said.

But, Padfield stressed, preparedness begins with the public.

“The sad fact is that despite our best attempts, this storm will most likely result in tragedy somewhere in the commonwealth,” he said.

Padfield noted vehicle crashes, house fires from improvised heating sources and stress on heating systems and carbon monoxide poisoning from improper generator use during power outages are common causes of injury and death in winter weather.

He urged Pennsylvanians to be prepared for themselves and their families, check on neighbors and relatives and look out for their communities. Padfield noted little things, such as ensuring fire hydrants are cleared of snow, can save crucial minutes in an emergency.

Pennsylvanians looking for guidance on how to prepare for weather emergencies should visit ready.pa.gov, he said.

Carroll noted that while the storm is not expected to meet the National Weather Service’s criteria for blizzard conditions, conditions Sunday will be blizzard-like. He urged people to stay at home and not drive. If travel is unavoidable, motorists should visit www.511PA.com to check road conditions. The site also shows the location of snow plows, he said.

In addition to interstate highways, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and its extensions, the following roads are covered by the travel restriction:

• U.S. 22 from Route 66 to I-99.
• U.S. 15 from I-180 to the New York border.
• U.S. 22 from I-78 to the New Jersey border.
• U.S. 219 from U.S. 30 to U.S. 22.
• U.S. 220 from I-80 to I-180.
• U.S. 322 from Interstate 99 to I-81.
• Route 28 from I-279 to U.S. 422.
• The entire length of Route 33.

The Pennsylvania Capital-Star, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site, delivers honest and aggressive coverage of state government, politics and policy. Since launching in February 2019, the Capital-Star has emerged as a go-to source for in-depth original reporting, explainers on complex topics, features that ground policy debates, and progressive commentary on a range of issues. The Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.