PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Neighborhoods in and around the Philadelphia area were covered in about 1 to 3 inches of slushy, wet snow Sunday as the region prepared for another round of accumulation.
The National Weather Service said Saturday’s storm wrapped up a bit sooner than expected. Still, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, with 1 to 4 inches of snow in the forecast going into the evening.
PennDOT officials said crews treated roadways during Saturday’s storm and were out early Sunday to continue operations. Krys Johnson, PennDOT Safety Press Officer, said they’ve been preparing for several days.
“Our crews got a head start on the weather, and we've been anti-icing in the Philadelphia region over the past few days,” she said. “All of our county crews are out in full force to treat roadways.”
Drivers took things slow Sunday as snow fell consistently across the region, with the northern and western suburbs getting the brunt of it. In Germantown, Manayunk, and along Belmont Ave roads were slick and wet as about 400 snow plows and salting trucks made their way through, clearing roads.
Johnson said during winter weather events, interstates and expressways are PennDOT's primary focus, while other major routes and secondary state roads may take longer to clear.
Drivers like Justin, who stopped at a Wawa for a quick coffee in King of Prussia, said conditions were manageable, but warned about side streets.
“Fairly clear, not too bad. Slippery, but stay off the side roads and be on the main roads, and you’ll be fine,” he said.
Some families made the most of a 1-2 hour snow break, taking their children to the Netflix House, a new immersive experience venue at King of Prussia Mall.
“To celebrate his birthday and do something that they’ve been watching every day makes the whole experience better rather than being out in the snow,” said Katie, who brought her sons Nathan and Jacob to the venue.
PennDOT officials, however, urged drivers to stay off the roads if possible to allow crews time to work and to give workers plenty of space when driving.
“They want to get home to their families safe as well, and for your own safety, motorists should never attempt to pass a truck when it's plowing or spreading winter materials,” Johnson explained.
“We are asking drivers to stay at least 10 car lengths behind an operating plow.”