I-81 · PA / NY
I-81 from Harrisburg to Syracuse: road conditions right now
Harrisburg, PA to Syracuse, NY
I-81 through northeastern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier crosses the Poconos and Endless Mountains, then enters New York's lake-effect belt at Cortland and Syracuse. Snow squalls, the short violent bursts that cause pileups, are the signature hazard.
Conditions at Sat, 2:55 AM EDT
Highest risk along I-81: 1 of 5 (low), departing at that time.
- No active NWS alerts on this route.
The road authority linked below has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Clear driving for the whole 4 h 2 min.
Conditions: Partly cloudy, Mostly cloudy, Cloudy and more
Checkpoints along I-81
| Where | You pass | Weather | Risk | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg, PA | Sat 3:00 AM | 43°Fpavement 48°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Fredericksburg, PA | Sat 3:30 AM | 49°Fpavement 48°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Mahanoy City, PA | Sat 4:00 AM | 44°Fpavement 47°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Nanticoke, PA | Sat 4:30 AM | 40°Fpavement 48°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Clarks Summit, PA | Sat 5:00 AM | 40°Fpavement 46°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Hallstead, PA | Sat 5:30 AM | 39°Fpavement 46°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Chenango Bridge, NY | Sat 6:00 AM | 39°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Cortland, NY | Sat 6:30 AM | 39°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Syracuse, NY | Sat 7:00 AM – 7:02 AM | 39°F | low | Nothing flagged |
Why this stretch is hard in winter
- Snow squalls create whiteouts in minutes; NWS issues Snow Squall Warnings that this page shows as they happen.
- The Hazleton–Wilkes-Barre grade and the stretch north of Scranton are the usual crash sites.
- Lake-effect bands off Lake Ontario reach Syracuse and Cortland with 2 to 4 inches an hour.
What this page checks
- Hourly forecast at every checkpoint for the time you would be there: temperature, precipitation type and rate, gusts, visibility.
- Active National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories on the route.
- Snow on the ground (NOAA SNODAS) and the Weather Prediction Center winter impact outlook.
- Pavement temperature and surface state from state DOT road sensors, when you are leaving within a few hours.
- Chain controls, closures, and winter road condition reports from state DOT feeds where they are published openly.
- Seasonal closures of mountain roads the router might otherwise use.
Official sources for this corridor
Questions drivers ask about I-81
- What is a snow squall warning?
- A short-fused NWS warning, like a tornado warning, for a burst of heavy snow and gusty wind that drops visibility to near zero on the highway for 15 to 60 minutes. Slow down before you enter it; most I-81 pileups happen in squalls.
Conditions change by the hour. This page is a planning aid built on public forecasts and DOT feeds; the road authority linked above has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Other corridors: I-80 across Wyoming · I-70 through the Colorado mountains · I-80 over Donner Pass · I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass · I-84 through the Blue Mountains · I-15 over Cajon Pass · all corridors