The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is urging motorists to avoid unnecessary travel as a strong winter storm continues to impact the region. Hazardous conditions have led to multiple interstate closures and ongoing speed limit reductions across northwestern Pennsylvania.
Due to heavy snow, reduced visibility, and multiple incidents, the following interstates remain closed:
Interstate 79 – Both directions from the I-80 interchange to Exit 130 (Route 358, Greenville/Sandy Lake) in Mercer County.
Interstate 86 – Westbound from Exit 3 (Route 89, Wattsburg/North East) to the I‑90 interchange.
Interstate 90 – Westbound from Exit 41 (Route 89, North East) to Exit 32 (Route 290/430, Wesleyville/Bayfront Connector) in Erie County.
PennDOT reports that the scene on I‑79 northbound near Exit 174 (McKean) was cleared earlier this afternoon. All remaining closures will stay in effect until conditions improve and crews can safely reopen the roadways.
As the storm intensified, PennDOT temporarily lowered speed limits to 45 mph on several major routes, including:
Interstate 79 from I‑80 to its northern endpoint in Erie County
Interstate 80 from the Ohio state line to Exit 97 (Route 219, Dubois/Brockway)
Interstate 86 from the I‑90 interchange to the New York state line
Interstate 90 from the Ohio state line to the New York state line
Interstate 376 from the I‑80 interchange to Exit 13A (Route 224, Poland) in Lawrence County
Commercial vehicles unaffected by restrictions must remain in the right lane while these limits are in place.
PennDOT reminds travelers that even with continuous plowing and treatment, roads may not be completely free of snow or ice. Crews will continue working throughout the storm until precipitation stops and routes can be fully cleared.
Drivers are strongly encouraged to stay off the roads. Those who must travel can check updated conditions for more than 40,000 miles of roadway—along with color‑coded winter condition maps, traffic speeds, incident reports, and camera feeds—by visiting 511PA.com.
The 511PA service is available online, via smartphone app, by calling 5‑1‑1, or through regional alerts on X (formerly Twitter).
Residents can subscribe to traffic and news updates for Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at pa.gov/DOTDistrict1 and follow PennDOT’s northwest region on social media for ongoing updates.
Closures are currently in place on the following interstates:
Interstate 86 – Westbound from Exit 3 (Route 89, Wattsburg/North East) to the Interstate 90 interchange in Erie County.
Interstate 90 – Westbound from Exit 41 (Route 89, North East) to Exit 32 (Route 290/430, Wesleyville/Bayfront Connector) in Erie County.
Speed Restrictions are still in place on the following interstates:
Interstate 79 from the Interstate 80 interchange in Mercer County to the end point in Erie County.
Interstate 80 from the Ohio State line to Exit 97 (Route 219, Dubois/Brockway) in Clearfield County.
Interstate 86 from the Interstate 90 interchange to the New York state line.
Interstate 90 from the Ohio state line to the New York state line.
Interstate 376 from the Interstate 80 interchange to Exit 13A (Route 224, Poland) in Lawrence County.Â