PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A powerful winter storm brought strong winds and blanketed much of the Philly region and New Jersey with more than a foot of heavy snow. It caused downed trees and wires, power outages, and many school closures.
Here's what you need to know.
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Snow started falling in Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Flurries were still seen in some parts of Jersey as late as 5 p.m. Monday.
All blizzard and winter storm warnings were canceled as of 2 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Along the coast, wind gusts reached as much as 55 mph. The Philly region saw wind gusts up to 35 mph.
As of 6 p.m. Monday, the National Weather Service reported 20.3 inches of snowfall in Mount Holly, New Jersey, 17 inches in Lindenwold, and 19 inches in Mays Landing. In Pennsylvania, 20.5 inches fell in Fairless Hills, Bucks County, while Malvern, Chester County, saw 12.3 inches. Morton, Delaware County, and Norristown, Montgomery County, got 13.4 inches, while Northeast Philadelphia saw as much as 16 inches.
Regardless of exact totals, life-threatening travel conditions are expected, and major disruptions to roads and infrastructure could extend beyond Monday.
As of about 10 p.m. Monday, PECO is reporting that about 390 customers are without power, down from about 1,164 two hours earlier. About 446 PSE&G customers are out of service, and more than 38,500 Atlantic City Electric customers remain without service. More than 112,000 Atlantic City Electric customers experienced service interruptions during the storm.
All available Atlantic City Electric field personnel, including more than 225 local and out-of-state contractors, are responding to restore service safely and as quickly as possible.
AC Electric said an additional 183 contract personnel from New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Michigan are supporting the restoration effort, with more expected over the next 18 hours.
If you experience an outage, contact your service provider.
Plus, a boil water advisory is still in effect for some residents in Camden following a water main break that happened during the storm. Residents who live south of Ferry Avenue through Collings Road are included in the advisory.
American Waters says repairs for the break have been completed, and they will start testing the water once the system has been completely flushed.
That could take up to three days.
Snow emergency in effect
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced a snow emergency in the city, which began at 4 p.m. on Sunday. It remains in effect Monday, but city officials report they’re making progress in making roads passable.
The storm dropped about a foot of heavy, wet snow across the city, which, combined with high winds, created conditions for downed wires and trees. So far, there have been 47 tree emergencies.
Parker said the city has cleared 65% of streets so far — as usual, the main and secondary roads. On those small, tight streets, officials are asking for patience, but Carlton Williams — in charge of snow clearing — said they’re using the full complement of 800 plows, trucks, lifters and other equipment.
He said the city brought in two additional snow melters for this storm.
“Quite frankly, from the last storm, we’re running out of places to put snow,” he said.
Williams promised to clear ADA ramps and curbs faster this time around. You can call 311 for service, but if it’s an emergency, like a downed wire, officials said, assume the wire is live, stay away, and call 911.
“We will do whatever it takes, however long it takes, to ensure that we have cleared our streets and we are keeping Philadelphians safe,” Parker said at a Saturday evening press conference.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency on Sunday ahead of the storm to mobilize state resources.
School and city closures
School District of Philadelphia students will have another virtual learning day on Tuesday. All after-school activities, including all athletic programs and professional development sessions, are canceled. Going forward, any school closures related to inclement weather will be remote learning days.
Philly Archdiocesan schools will have flex instruction on Tuesday.
🎒 Find the latest school closings in your neighborhood HERE.
Philly courts will reopen on Tuesday. All matters in the Trial Division, including remote proceedings in the Civil-Trial Division, Orphans Court, Family Court and Municipal Court that were canceled due to the snow emergency will be rescheduled by their respective court divisions.
Transportation and trash
Philadelphia trash and recycling will run on a two-day delay this week.
SEPTA's Metro service is operating with delays or modifications. As of 9:30 p.m. Monday, bus and Regional Rail service are in the process of being restored. While SEPTA does intend to operate regular weekday schedules heading into Tuesday, officials say riders should expect delays and cancellations. For updates, visit SEPTA's website.
Newark Light Rail and River Line resumed service around 4 p.m. The River Line service will return to a regular weekday schedule on Tuesday. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail resumed service around 6 p.m. and is operating on a weekend schedule. All rail, bus and Access Link services remain suspended. For service updates, check njtransit.com.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is in the process of returning speed limits to normal on the turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.
Amtrak has halted Keystone service until further notice.
More than 600 flights were canceled at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday, and more than 300 were canceled on Sunday. Looking ahead, there are already 40 cancellations for Tuesday. Officials say if you’re flying this week, make sure you check with your airline to monitor flight status.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority is offering a flat $5 discounted rate at several Center City garages. The discounted rate is available starting at 9 a.m. Sunday, and will continue until the snow emergency is lifted.
Those garages include AutoPark at Fifth and Market streets, 10th and Ludlow streets, and 10th and Filbert streets. A full list of locations can be found on PPA's website.
Street parking meter violations will not be enforced until the snow emergency is lifted. Snow emergency routes and safety violations will still be enforced.
State of emergency
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency on Saturday ahead of the storm and a blizzard warning on Sunday. The state had not issued a blizzard warning in 30 years.
"This storm faces more risks than the last one because of the blizzard conditions and high winds," Sherrill said during a Saturday afternoon press conference. "We're getting a lot of snow and extremely high winds."
While the shore got the worst of it, many places in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties saw between 15 and 20 inches of snow. Plow crews were working nonstop to clear the roads, and officials say it may take a little while before life gets back to normal.
In Montgomery County, the Borough of North Wales declared a snow emergency, effective Saturday at 8 p.m. Parking restrictions will be enforced along snow emergency routes on Main and Walnut streets, and bicycle riding is banned within the borough during the emergency.
Delaware is also under a state of emergency.