What I learned this weekend: The dog my wife and I adopted in the spring (the one I solicited your help in naming), who had arrived in the area from South Carolina only months before, does not like the snow (unlike our other dog, who loves sprinting through it). 

I don’t like it much either, but we’ve both got to deal with it. We ended up having to deal with about 9 inches where we are just outside of Philly (9.1 inches was the official measurement at Philadelphia Airport Sunday at 7 p.m.).

And that snow won’t be melting away anytime soon. For the remainder of the week, high temperatures across the state will range from the low teens to the mid-20s, with the chance for sub-zero overnight lows in and around Allentown, Johnstown, Pittsburgh, Scranton, State College, and Williamsport. 

Oh, and more snow may be coming next weekend. Great.

Look on the bright side: no record snow totals were recorded in Pennsylvania over the weekend. For a look back at some of the biggest snowstorms to hit the commonwealth over the past few decades, see below.

In Thursday’s newsletter, we wrote about PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) latest request for the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to stop using its internationally-known furry forecaster, Punxsutawney Phil, for the annual Groundhog Day celebration at Gobbler’s Knob. 

PETA contends that Phil is being exploited by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club for the sake of entertainment, and that he doesn’t get to enjoy a life in the wild as a groundhog should.

I heard from a couple of dozen readers regarding the story. And the majority of the folks who responded think Phil is living his best life. My favorite response:

“Ok I am a tree-hugging, flower-sniffing, dirt worshiper… BUT… I love Phil. That group of groundhogs are treated like Kings and Queens. Groundhog Day without the groundhog??????? CRAZY!”

With Groundhog Day approaching, we want to know: Do you think the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club should stop using Punxsutawney Phil for the annual Groundhog Day celebration?

Reply below, and please let us know where you live.

Cherry blossom petals rain down on the crowd at Philadelphia’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival. (K. Kelly/Visit Philadelphia)

I’m no meteorologist. But I can say with some degree of certainty that winter won’t last forever—not even this one, which already feels like it’s lasted two years.

And when the weather finally warms up, festival season begins. From celebrations of art to a festival devoted to the humble pickle, Pennsylvania’s spring and summer weekends are packed with events offering everything from food and shopping to live music and a chance to connect with local communities.

Read on to learn about the festivals in Pennsylvania that you won’t want to miss in 2026—and then mark your calendars.

• Following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis Saturday at the hands of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, Gov. Shapiro spoke about his administration’s efforts to keep Pennsylvanians safe from ICE. Find out what the governor said here.

• The city of York will not participate in an enforcement agreement with ICE, with Mayor Sandie Walker saying, “When residents fear that interacting with local police could lead to immigration consequences… our entire community becomes less safe.” Get more details here.

• While officials and lawmakers are condemning President Donald Trump’s administration for removing an exhibition on slavery from Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, a Republican lawmaker from the Pittsburgh area said “good riddance” to the slavery exhibition in a social media post. Our Sean Kitchen has the story here. 

• More on the removal of the slavery exhibition in Philadelphia: Republican US Sen. Dave McCormick voiced his disagreement with the decision, and Gov. Shapiro vowed to take legal action against the federal government. Find out more in this story.

(KaleBurgSteelers/X)

The Steelers announced Saturday the club has reached a verbal agreement with Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin as head coach.

McCarthy grew up in the Greenfield neighborhood, just a couple of miles away from the team’s practice facility on the city’s South Side.

If the team expected Steelers fans to celebrate the hiring as a feel-good homecoming story, they got a rude awakening. Judging by the many hilarious directions on social media, yinz view McCarthy as nothing more than Tomlin 2.0.

Can’t say as though I disagree.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Sean Kitchen, Kalena Thomhave, the Keystone Staff, The Associated Press, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and Emily Previti and John Cole of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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