PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The first significant snow in nearly two years prompted schools, city offices and courts to close. Foot traffic was way down in Center City, but a few hearty souls ventured out.
"We started seeing the snow starting to fall and got very excited, so we had a quick breakfast, we got all of our snow gear, found our sled and headed out,” said Emma Price.
She, her husband and two children — 5-year-old Matt and 2-year-old Samantha — all had Monday off. They decided to make the most of it by sledding and playing in the snow at a playground near Eakins Oval — a spot many others flocked to as well. Some were at the Art Museum steps taking pictures with a snow-covered Rocky, while others built snowpersons and created snow angels across the way.
Outside the city, in Delaware County, main roads were in good driving condition, but side roads were more challenging. Clifton Madison, who owns Executive Auto Repair in Chester, had some advice for making sure a vehicle is equipped for winter weather conditions: “It’s better to have all-season or winter tires, snow tires. You don’t want to have summer tires, especially in this kind of weather. You’ll be slipping and sliding all around.”
Madison also owns a body shop across the street. He said, while a lot of businesses close their doors on snow days, they are a big moneymaker for him.
🚍 Transit
At Philadelphia International Airport, 74 flights were canceled on Monday and at least 328 were delayed. A lot of cancellations and delays are for flights through areas of the Midwest and the South.
Those numbers were still going up at midday, so airport spokeswoman Heather Redfern says travelers should always check with their airlines before leaving for the airport. She says signing up for text or email alerts is the best way to get updates.
"Even if you're flying tomorrow or at some point later in the week, there's always a chance of residual delays or cancellations. So even if you're not flying today, ... look down the line a couple days, check in with your airline."
And no SEPTA lines have been suspended, but there have been a few delays and detours on bus lines as SEPTA makes adjustments based on changing conditions throughout the day.
"It's average anywhere from about five or so at a time. Those are going to be constantly changing through the day as we see icy conditions out on the roads," said SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch.
Regional Rail lines are running mostly on time, with some delays, he said.
"We're intentionally taking it a little slower, but otherwise maintaining our schedules."
Busch suggests checking route status before heading out to wait. The official SEPTA app for iPhone and Android, and the SEPTA website, will have the latest details about any delays and detours.
If the storm has passed, people might not expect any further disruptions, but Busch says the day after can also be a real challenge. By midafternoon, SEPTA had shifted focus to prepare for the commute on Tuesday.
"We expect everybody's going to come back and expect regular service tomorrow, and we'll still probably be dealing with some icy conditions that can affect our switches on the railroad, that can wreak havoc with overhead power lines along both the trolley and Regional Rail lines. So we have a lot of work to do late tonight and overnight into the early morning hours to make sure that all of our equipment is ready to go."
South Jersey
Crews in South Jersey dusted off the plows and salt trucks for the first time this season. Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency to give them the resources and time they needed to get the job done.
Nobody was caught by surprise with this storm. In fact, it arrived a little later than initially thought. During a live appearance on KYW, Murphy said he declared a state of emergency for a couple of reasons.
“It’s a signaling mechanism to make sure folks realize that we’re serious, that the storm could be serious. Secondly, it allows us a lot of latitude in terms of prepositioning equipment, treating roads,” Murphy said.
“One of the benefits of calling that state of emergency and having a good amount of runway before a storm actually hits is you can plan in a way that you couldn’t if it were sudden.”
In Camden County, road crews reported for duty at 2 a.m., which County Commissioner Al Dyer says gave them extra time to get the new guys acclimated with the process during live action.
It’s the first one and I think we handled it well,” Syer said. “We followed our same protocols we will do when we get a snow event. Guys did well. I’m very satisfied and appreciative of how they handled this first outing.”
Dyer says most of the team really enjoys getting to work on snow days, and the overtime check isn’t so bad either.
More than 8 inches fell in Cape May but the National Weather Service says most of South Jersey got around 2 inches of snow.
By midday, the Atlantic City Expressway, Route 295 and Route 55 were slushy and wet. In Vineland, where about 3 inches fell, Frankie, a FedEx delivery driver, said the main roads were fine but he was slipping on the side streets. The worst conditions, he said, were in front of peoples’ houses.
“Nobody’s driveways are plowed so I’m walking in up to my legs in all the snow and everybody’s like, ‘What are you guys doing out here?’ You ordered it, lady! And that’s my job.”
Streets crews were clearing snow and slush off roads and sidewalks before the nighttime freeze.
Resources
While the snow is expected to taper out Monday evening, freezing temperatures and high winds will remain throughout the week. The City of Philadelphia declared a Code Blue and opened 20 warming centers to help keep people safe.
“The freezing temperatures outside can be life-threatening. These new warming centers are not just for people experiencing homelessness or sleeping outdoors. Anyone is welcome. In the case of power outages, for example, some people may need to visit a warming center,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker.
To find a center, click here or call the city's Homeless Street Outreach Team at 215-232-1984.
The Office of Homeless Services also added an additional 100 beds in shelters to accommodate an increased need during this time.
emergency travel kit
Jana Tidwell, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson, said drivers should pack a winter emergency travel kit — with more than just jumper cables and a first aid kit.
"You also want to add de-icer spray, de-icer washer fluid, because the salt and brine and ice kick up and form on the windshield. You want to make sure that your visibility is as optimum as possible. Kitty litter or rock salt in case you need to throw it underneath the tires for additional traction. A collapsible snow shovel, in case you need to remove snow," Tidwell said.
Some other essentials:
❄ Rock salt
❄ Road traction material, e.g., bag of sand or cat litter
❄ Collapsible snow shovel to dig yourself out
❄ Snow brush and ice scraper
❄ De-icer for car locks
❄ Windshield washer fluid
❄ Blankets, sweatshirts, gloves
❄ Flashlights — with extra batteries
❄ Nonperishable snacks
❄ Drinking water
And don't forget the snow brush and ice scraper, a lot of blankets, extra clothes, and snacks — in case you're stuck for a while.
KYW Newsradio's Pat Loeb, Mike DeNardo, John McDevitt, Matt Coughlin and Mike Dougherty contributed to this report.