PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The snow has returned, but not quite like last time.
Philadelphia is currently under a snow emergency. Vehicles must be removed from snow emergency routes or face ticketing or towing.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority has said they will not be enforcing meters, kiosks, or time limits on residential streets until the emergency is lifted. They are also offering a $5 flat rate at their six Center City garages.
NBC 10 First Alert meteorologist Steve Sosna explained this one won't last nearly as long.
"Unlike the winter storm that hit us Sunday through Wednesday, which was a marathon, this one will be fast and furious, but in the few hours, it will deliver 5-7 inches of snow," he said.
Sosna projected the worst of the storm to strike early, through 3 p.m. Sunday.
"That's when the snowfall rates are 1 to 2 inches per hour. That's when you want to stay off the roadways. During that kind of snowfall, travel becomes difficult to impossible. Give the road crews a chance to clear it off, and by evening, the roads should be much better," he said.
PennDOT crews were prepared for a busy day with this latest snow storm. Pennsylvania highways and interstates didn't even have to be pretreated this time around, as there was enough residual salt from last week's storm, according to PennDOT's Brad Rudolph.
"They did a tremendous job for the first storm I fully expect them to do it for this storm as well," he said.
Still, Rudolph said crews would be at work throughout the day salting and plowing.
"We are well stocked still in materials, (with) more than 105,000 tons of salt in the region," he said.
Rudolph said if you encounter road crews, give them some space.
"These guys have a tremendous job to do. They are monitoring salt through computerized systems, they are monitoring traffic, they are monitoring the storm and they are operating a giant vehicle, so give them the space they need," he requested.
For those who must be on the roads, Rudolph urged them to keep safe, stay alert, and watch their speeds.
"Ice, snow, whatever it is, you have to obey the posted speed limit or drive below the posted speed limit," he cautioned. Wipers and headlights should be on, he said.
Rudolph also reminded drivers to make sure vehicles are cleared of snow and ice before heading out on the roads.
"We are trying to clear snow off the roadway," he said. "We don't need it back on the roadway."
Stay with KYW Newsradio and NBC 10's First Alert Weather throughout the day.