State College, Pa. — A dangerous Arctic blast locks onto central Pennsylvania early Saturday, hammering the U.S. 219 corridor from Somerset through Clearfield and north toward DuBois with wind chills plunging to 30 below zero from 1 a.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Sunday. Gusty northwest winds ramp up overnight, creating brutal exposure conditions and difficult travel across the higher terrain of the Allegheny Plateau.
The National Weather Service in State College said an Extreme Cold Warning blankets much of central and north-central Pennsylvania, while a Wind Advisory runs from late Friday night through Saturday evening. Northwest winds gust between 50 and 55 mph in exposed areas, intensifying the cold and increasing the risk of downed limbs and scattered power outages.
PennDOT officials warned that travel becomes hazardous along U.S. 219, U.S. 322, U.S. 22 and Route 53, particularly across ridges and open stretches where crosswinds peak. Vehicles lose stability in gusts, while bitter cold stiffens road surfaces and lengthens braking distances. Any crash or breakdown quickly turns dangerous as engines cool rapidly and exposed skin faces frostbite in as little as 30 minutes.
The cold grips communities including Somerset, Johnstown, Altoona, Bedford, Clearfield, Philipsburg and DuBois, with additional impacts in State College, Lock Haven and Williamsport. In northern counties, Coudersport, Wellsboro, Emporium and Ridgway sit squarely in the core of the cold, where wind chills repeatedly dip near 30 below during the overnight hours.
Officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, secure loose outdoor objects and check on vulnerable neighbors. Winds ease late Saturday night, but extreme cold lingers into Sunday morning before temperatures slowly rebound, ending the most dangerous exposure window across central Pennsylvania.
