January 25, 2026 7:59 am
Winter Storm Fern has arrived and snow is blanketing the area, essentially halting most traffic and most flights out of Pittsburgh International Airport. Snow will continue to fall through Monday and become heavy at times with snowfall rates as high as 1 to 2 inches per hour in some areas. Travel will be most dangerous during this time span and may even be impassable, with reduced visibility and snow-covered roads. Some areas south and southeast of Pittsburgh will see some sleet mixed in with the snow by late morning and during much of the afternoon. That would keep totals down a bit closer to Latrobe, Uniontown, and Morgantown. For areas from the city and points north, this will be mainly snow and could easily reach over a foot under any heavier banding. Most areas that see all snow will have 8-14 inches by late Sunday evening, with locally higher amounts possible. The areas that see some sleet will see slightly lesser amounts. Snow will taper to light snow and snow showers Sunday night, but continue off and on into Monday morning. It will stay very cold even behind the system as temperatures plunge below zero in some spots Monday night. Authorities across the state are urging residents to stay inside and off the roads, unless it is an absolute emergency. Restrictions are up on all interstates and the speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph on most highways. Once the storm has moved through, a stretch of bitter cold weather lies ahead, and warming shelters will be open and available to those who may need them. For a complete listing, Click Here.
January 25, 2026 8:05 am
Governor Josh Shapiro has declared a Disaster Emergency for Pennsylvania to make resources available to prepare for and support response efforts for Winter Storm Fern, which is impacting that state this weekend. “Our teams at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) have been working to prepare to support Pennsylvanians as this winter storm impacts our Commonwealth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. The Governor’s disaster declaration will allow the Commonwealth to quickly draw down funding and provide state agencies with the resources needed to assist counties and municipalities with winter storm response efforts. The 2025-26 budget, signed into law by Governor Shapiro, doubled the amount of state funding available from $20 million to $40 million to enable state agencies to respond to disasters in the Commonwealth to keep visitors and residents safe.
January 25, 2026 8:25 am
Authorities say a local youth softball coach is facing child porn charges. Police say they received a CyberTip about a person using the “Kik” messaging app who had uploaded multiple files of child sexual abuse material to their account, saying it showed children between the ages of 10 and 13 in a sexual manner. After some investigation, they say they were able to determine that the IP address belonged to a Verizon customer and in tandem with the Attorney General’s Office, they were able to subpoena Verizon. Police say that information led them to forty-one-year-old Michael A. Charlton of Charleroi. Police say they served a search warrant at Charlton’s house on the 100 block of Park Street in September and he admitted to using the Kik accounts and said that he had been in group chats on the app that shared child sex abuse material, but added that he “was not in it for that.” The criminal complaint notes that Charlton has a rose tattoo on his right forearm and investigators said they were able to identify him in videos where he talked about underage children in a sexual manner by matching the tattoo to the videos. Charlton was a softball coach for Steel City Athletics. Charlton is facing a total of nineteen charges, eighteen of which are felonies. He is currently being held at the Washington County Jail.
January 24, 2026 11:57 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s governor says federal officers have shot another person in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He called on the President Donald Trump to end the crackdown in his state. The details surrounding the shooting weren’t immediately clear. Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told The Associated Press in a text messages that person had a firearm with two magazines. The shooting came amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good.
January 24, 2026 11:15 am
DALLAS (AP) — Almost 10,000 flights have been canceled for the weekend across the U.S. as a monsterstorm expected to wreak havoc across much of the country bears down. The storm threatens to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways. Roughly 140 million people were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warns of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. The edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas on Friday night into Saturday, while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma.
January 24, 2026 11:17 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned that his forces are “more ready than ever” as U.S. warships move toward the Middle East. Tensions between Iran and the U.S. remain high following a crackdown on protests that began in December. Activists report over 40,000 arrests and a rising death toll. President Donald Trump has warned Iran against executing protesters and has moved warships “just in case.” The situation has led some European airlines to suspend flights to the region. The U.N. has expressed concern over potential executions of detained protesters.
January 24, 2026 9:29 am
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The scale of nationwide protests in Iran and the bloody crackdown that has followed is slowly coming into focus, even though authorities have cut off the country from the internet. Activists warn it shows Iran is engaging in the same tactics it has used for decades, just at an unprecedented scale. That includes firing down from rooftops on demonstrators, shooting birdshot into crowds and sending motorcycle-riding volunteer members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in to beat and detain those who can’t escape. Meanwhile, a crackdown targeting protesters continues, with state media reporting dozens to hundreds of people detained daily.
January 24, 2026 9:26 am
The America 250 PA “kick-off” event at the Washington County Courthouse planned for this afternoon has been cancelled due to the weather. County officials announced Friday afternoon that the event would not take place due to the frigid temperatures. It is not known if the event will be rescheduled. Fayette and Greene Counties were also scheduled to host similar events on Saturday. WJPA News has not learned if those activities are still going off as scheduled.
January 24, 2026 5:51 am
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that all driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Monday, January 26, 2026, through Tuesday, January 27, 2026, due to the predicted snow event this weekend. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; REAL ID pre-verification; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.
January 24, 2026 4:31 am
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed one person and wounded 23 overnight, as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were set to met in Abu Dhabi for a second day of talks aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly four-year invasion. Officials said one person died and four were wounded in Kyiv, while 19 were wounded in Kharkiv on Saturday. The talks, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, mark the first known instance of Trump administration officials meeting with both countries. The White House called the first day productive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a peace deal was “nearly ready,” though territorial disputes remain unresolved.
