Centre County under a winter storm watch starting Friday. What to know
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- Winter storm watch in Centre County from Friday morning through Saturday morning.
- NWS warns of snow, sleet and 0.1–0.3 in. ice and up to 2 in. total accumulations.
- Officials advise preparedness for power outages, tree damage and slick road conditions.
A significant portion of central Pennsylvania — including the entirety of Centre County — will be under a winter storm watch on one of the busiest travel days of the year, the day after Christmas.
According to the National Weather Service, heavy mixed precipitation will be possible during the winter storm watch, which will be in effect from Friday morning until Saturday morning. During this time, that also means the possibility of power outages, tree damage and slippery road conditions.
The NWS forecast calls for up to two inches of snow and sleet accumulations, and between one-tenth and three-tenths of an inch of ice.
The weather service issued the watch early Wednesday morning.
According to AccuWeather, Friday’s storm will be the third this week that impacts New England and part of the mid-Atlantic. And it’s Friday’s storm that’s expected to most affect central Pennsylvania, as AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski referred to it as the “most problematic” storm this week because it’s “a colder storm that tracks farther south than the others.”
Snow and ice could reach as far south as Washington, D.C.
The NWS issues winter advisories, watches and warnings throughout the season. Warnings are the most severe, followed by watches and then advisories. A winter storm watch — such as the one that goes in effect Friday morning in Centre County — asks people to be prepared for significant impacts due to possible snow, sleet or ice.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and PennDOT also issued a joint news release to remind drivers of various Tier-3 road restrictions across the commonwealth that will go into effect Friday morning. Motorists will be limited to 45 mph on the interstate network, while no commercial vehicles will be allowed on the network — except loaded single trailers with chains or approved Alternative Traction Devices.
“PennDOT and PA Turnpike crews will actively pre-treat roadways where necessary ahead of the storm to help prevent ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm,” the news release read. “However, salt does not resolve all risks, and drivers may encounter icy spots on the roadway. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form.”
For road conditions and closures, visit 511PA.com. And for weather updates, visit weather.gov/ctp or AccuWeather.com.
This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 11:01 AM.
