The Powerball jackpot continues its climb as it now stands at $740 million for Monday’s drawing.

A winner tonight could claim the jackpot as a $740 million annuity or $346.1 million in cash.

“The weather may be getting cold but the Powerball jackpot is sure heating up,” said Mark Michalko, chief executive officer of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We would love to see a big jackpot winner in North Carolina tonight.”

Monday’s drawing offers the second-largest Powerball jackpot this year, trailing only the $1.7 billion jackpot won Sept. 6 in Missouri and Texas.

Check out how Powerball impacts North Carolinians:

• 27,851: The total number of winning tickets in Saturday’s drawing
• $14.2 million: The estimated amount raised for education on the current Powerball run

Players can buy Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website or the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

For details on how lottery funds make a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.