With the Powerball jackpot estimated at $400 million for tonight’s drawing, lottery ticket fever has begun once again at some convenience and drug stores in Butler County.

The amount is one of the largest in U.S. lottery history, being the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot and the sixth-highest lottery prize of all time.

The drawing is at 11 p.m.

Planet Mart in Sarver, which sold a $1 million ticket to a customer in 2012, is expecting an influx of ticket buyers today. The win in November 2012 has increased foot traffic into the store over the past year.

“You hear people saying they think the store is lucky,” said Stephanie Rossey, store manager at Planet Mart. “When it gets hot, some people play them here because of the million dollar winner. ... It doesn’t hurt business.”

She and other vendors across the county said the snowfall Monday night into Tuesday hurt some sales, but most of them are expecting an uptick in sales today.

Dave Stehle, owner of Thompson’s Country Market in West Sunbury, said he has seen an increase in ticket buying, but said Tuesday’s snow kept many people out of the store. He said today will bring more people.

“(Today) will be a big day,” Stehle said.

He also noted that Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing jackpot was $154 million, which also brought in a lot of people.

Since Powerball tickets increased from $1 to $2 in 2012, sales have decreased. However, sales on the $1 Mega Millions tickets have remained steady.

“The dollar makes a difference,” Stehle said.

“The snow and the weather is keeping everybody inside but expect an increase (today),” said Cheryl Klabnik, who works at Evans City Pharmacy and Gift Shop. Having bought several tickets herself, she said if she won, she would pay off her children’s student loans and move to South Carolina, a place where there’s no snow.

Paying college costs was on Bob Costa’s mind, too. He bought 10 Powerball tickets Tuesday at the Planet Mart in Mars.

“I would buy a college to send my granddaughter to and make sure she graduates,” said Costa of Mars. “I would donate to churches and charities and buy the store clerk a new car.”

Tom Taylor, an owner at Fairground Market in Prospect, said this jackpot, like others, has brought more people seeking tickets.

“It increases a good bit,” Taylor said.

He noted that this is a good time of year to have a big jackpot since most people spent a lot of money at Christmas. He also said the store just had a $30,000 lottery winner, which may be a sign of good luck for other lottery hopefuls.

However, at the Rummy Mart in Chicora, other lottery tickets have been selling better than the Powerball.

“The scratch tickets are selling really well right now. I think people are sick of the winter and they’re trying to find a different outlet,” said Sharon Snow, store manager. “It’s instant gratification.”

Store clerk Jessica Gillespie at the Shop-N-Save in Cranberry Township said, “Oh my gosh, we have been selling a lot of tickets.”

Gillespie said she had a customer on Monday buy $110 worth of Powerball tickets and then turned around and spent the same amount on Mega Millions.

Asked what she would do if she won, the Freedom resident said, “Oh my goodness, I would get myself out of debt, pay off student loans and car payment. I would get a new car. I like the Hummer.”

If no one wins, the prize potential will grow before the next drawing on Saturday.

Large jackpots tend to boost ticket sales and make it more likely the prize will be shared. Also changes to the Powerball and Mega Millions games have the jackpots reaching fantasy-inducing levels more often.

More than half of the top 10 prizes in U.S. lottery history have occurred since 2012, according to statistics provided by the Multi-State Lottery Association.

The odds of matching all six Powerball numbers are 1 in about 175 million.

Eagle staff writers John Bojarski, Kate Malongowski and David Pollio contributed to this report.