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Oregon man finds winning lottery ticket just before it expires

LOGSDEN, Ore. — A snowstorm was worth a million to an Oregon man last week.

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Because of the snowy weather last week in the Pacific Northwest, Joemel Panisa was cleaning his home office when he found a winning lottery ticket that was just eight days away from expiring, the Oregon Lottery said in a news release. The ticket was worth $1 million. His ticket matched five numbers, but missed the Mega Ball. He used the quick pick option, KPTV reported.

Panisa redeemed his ticket in time and became the fourth Mega Millions winner since the game was introduced to Oregon in 2010, the state lottery office said.

Panisa bought the winning ticket last year on Jan. 13, 2016, at a mini-market in Newport, the Oregon State Lottery said. The drawing was scheduled for Jan. 15.

Panisa said he placed the ticket in an envelope and put it in his home office, where it was left forgotten for nearly a year.

But "thanks to the snow and ice storm" that recently hit the state, Panisa was motivated to clean the office and stumbled upon the ticket again this past Monday, the Oregon Lottery said.

The mini market that sold the winning ticket will receive a 1 percent bonus, or $10,000, the Oregon State Lottery said. Mega Millions is drawn every Tuesday and Friday at 7:59 p.m.