PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It is a week for jingle bells, holiday songs … and advisories from the National Weather Service. The Philadelphia region will be visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve: rain, snow and ice.
“Keep yourself informed before you even get into your vehicle,” says Krys Johnson at PennDOT.
Mixed precipitation, including snow accumulation up to one inch and ice, is on the way Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A winter weather advisory is in effect from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Drivers should be prepared for potentially slippery conditions in parts of northern Delaware, southern New Jersey, and southeast Pennsylvania. Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous.
Johnson says PennDOT is geared up and getting ready.
“All counties are coordinating and pre-treating today with brining on all of our major expressways and interstates in the region,” she said. “Our fleet consists of about 182 state-owned snow trucks, and we have about 263 private contractor trucks. We also have about 131,000 tons of salt on hand.”
She says pre-treating will help the morning and holiday commuters expected to be on the road during what AAA has said will be a record travel period.
Be prepared
Johnson says if you have to drive, stay informed, but also prepared: Have a winter travel kit, keep your gas tank full and your cell phone charged.
Winter travel kit
❄ 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
❄ Deicer for car locks
❄ Windshield washer fluid
❄ Blankets, sweatshirts, gloves
❄ Flashlights — with extra batteries
❄ Nonperishable snacks
❄ Drinking water
If you must go out, PennDOT has a free app — 511PA — a public resource that has all of PennDOT’s traffic cameras and includes real-time traffic information, updated from the regional Traffic Management Center in King of Prussia.
“If you are driving and you do have to get on the road, buckle up, watch your speed. Don't drive distracted. Make sure your vehicle is winterized and that you are informed about conditions on the roadway,” she says.
“The best advice that we could ever give, when in these weather conditions, or any type of weather conditions, if you don't need to be on the road, don't. Stay home, if at all possible.”
Code Blue 🥶
The cold weather is expected to last through Friday, with overnight temperatures dropping to freezing. Philadelphia and the surrounding counties have issued Code Blue, activating emergency shelters and additional shelter beds, and outreach efforts, including transporting people experiencing homelessness to safe indoor spaces.
People who are experiencing homelessness can go to a city-funded intake center and get help. If you see a person who appears to be homeless outdoors during a Code Blue, call the city’s homeless outreach hotline at (215) 232-1984.