PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The biggest snowstorm in more than a decade quickly blanketed the Philadelphia region on Sunday and left an icy finish.
It caused transit shutdowns and suspensions, messy roads, and school closures. Here’s what you need to know.
Snow emergency
Snow began around 3 a.m. Sunday and switched to freezing rain and sleet in the late afternoon.
Philadelphia measured more than 9 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service, and some areas of South Jersey saw up to about 9.5 inches.
Mayor Cherelle Parker declared a snow emergency in Philadelphia. In a briefing on Sunday morning, as the snow continued to fall, the mayor said around 1,000 city workers and contractors were out clearing the roads as early as 5 a.m. Parker said it was a bit of a struggle to clear them, as the snow fell extremely fast in combination with the bitter temperatures.
"Please remain off the roads if you do not have to travel," Parker urged. "This challenging forecast means that we must completely clear the roads of snow before applying salt since it will not penetrate snow due to the frigid temperatures."
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill told KYW Newsradio that residents have largely listened to her recommendations to stay off the roads.
More than 11,000 flights were canceled Sunday across the United States, with 652 canceled at Philadelphia International Airport. Looking ahead, there were already 126 flight cancellations at PHL on Monday.
Mass transit
SEPTA's bus and Regional Rail services shut down at 2 p.m. on Sunday. SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said the most reliable form of transportation during the storm will be both the Broad Street and Market-Frankford subway lines.
Service is expected to resume as soon as possible on Monday, and when it does, Regional Rail trains will operate on a Saturday schedule. Throughout the rest of the week, trains will run more slowly due to the freezing temps.
"It’s not going to be a normal morning. We’re likely not going to be rolling out Regional Rail and bus service like we would on a normal Monday morning. We expect we’re going to be able to build it up as we go through the day," Busch said.
For the latest service updates, click here.
Bus travel on NJ Transit shut down on Sunday, and rail service ended at 2 p.m. Twenty-one NJ Transit bus routes resumed operation at 10 a.m. Monday.
The governor said crews would work to reopen service by Monday for the commute to work, but that could be rough with lingering storm conditions. Sherrill recommended that those who are able to work from home do so.
On the roads
Snow removal began early in the morning by crews from the Departments of Transportation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. PennDOT’s Brad Rudolph said there were more than 400 snow removal trucks out clearing the roads.
“We are going to keep them passable. They are not going to be completely free of snow and ice, not with this particular storm,” he said of the roads.
But road crews across the board just couldn't keep up with the downfall. In New Jersey, Ron Collins, a plow truck driver, pulled into the Wawa near the Deptford Mall, popped the hood, and realized he had a dead battery.
He called for some help. Mike Arrera came with jumper cables.
“We work together as a team, all the same people, so I just happened to have the cables on the truck," Arrera said.
But this turned into an extraction mission instead because they couldn’t get the truck started, so Collins called for a tow and climbed into Arrera's truck. They drove off to get back to plowing.
Travel safety
Jana Tidwell, with AAA Mid-Atlantic, advises drivers to make sure their cars are ready for the roads if they have to go out in the snow.
"Have your tires checked for tire tread depth as well as PSI. The air pressure in your tire could lose 1 to 2 PSI for every 10-degree temperature drop out there," she said. "I always tell motorists ahead of a winter weather event to have a full tank of gas, not knowing where you will need to go and have an emergency vehicle kit."
AAA also cautions drivers to leave early to provide plenty of extra time, remove all snow and ice from their cars, take it slow, leave enough following distance, and never use cruise control in slippery weather.
Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Colonel George Bivens said you can be pulled over for driving too fast for conditions, even if you are below the posted speed limit, or if you create a hazard by not cleaning snow off your car.
🚗 For the latest traffic and transit, listen live to KYW Newsradio's Traffic on the Twos every 10 minutes on 103.9FM or on the Audacy app HERE.
School closings
Most kids can enjoy a snow day on Monday. The Philadelphia School District is closed on Monday, Jan. 26.
Archdiocesan high schools and parochial elementary schools in Philadelphia are closed, but will utilize a flexible instruction day. Students and parents should refer to their local school website for further details.
🎒 Find the latest school closings in your neighborhood HERE.
Trash collection and other city services
Trash and recycling collection in Philadelphia is canceled on Monday. All collections will be pushed back a day for the rest of the week.
Philadelphia homeowners are reminded that they must shovel sidewalks.
The Criminal Justice Center at 13th and Filbert streets will remain open Monday for Emergency Protection from Abuse petitions, bail and arraignment hearings.
The aftermath
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said the storm could have major impacts for days.
"A lot of people get focused on the amount of snow that we're going to get, but we focus more on what the impacts happen to be, be able to make sure that we're well prepared," Padfield said.