PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A powerful winter storm blanketed South Jersey with more than a foot of snow overnight, and Philadelphia and neighboring suburbs could see as much when all is said and done.
Here's what you need to know.
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The Latest
Snow started falling in Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said a widespread 1 to 2 feet of snow is likely, with locally higher or lower amounts possible.
Blizzard warnings have been expanded inland and now include Philadelphia, nearby parts of southeastern Pennsylvania, all of New Jersey, all of Delaware, and the southern Poconos.
Along the coast, wind gusts could reach 50 mph. The Philly region may see wind gusts up to 35 mph.
As of 6 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service reported 18 inches of snowfall in Mount Holly, New Jersey, 16.5 inches in Lindenwold, and 14 inches in Mays Landing. In Pennsylvania, 18 inches fell in Fairless Hills, Bucks County, while Malvern, Chester County, saw 9 inches. About 12 inches fell in Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties so far.
Regardless of exact totals, life-threatening travel conditions are expected, and major disruptions to roads and infrastructure could extend beyond Monday.
Snow accumulations have also risen drastically, according to the NWS. Its latest projections show potential snow accumulation between 18 and 24 inches. That's twice as much as the previous snowstorm this season, which brought close to 10 inches of snow. Parts of the Jersey Shore are projected to get as much as 24 inches.
Snow emergency in effect
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency on Sunday ahead of the storm to mobilize state resources.
“We expect significant snowfall, particularly in the eastern part of the commonwealth,” Shapiro said.
Crews from central and western Pennsylvania, including Williamsport and Clearfield County, are being deployed east to assist with plowing and snow removal.
Shapiro urged residents to stay off the roads once snowfall begins so plows can work efficiently.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced a snow emergency in the city, which began at 4 p.m. on Sunday. City government offices and courts are closed on Monday, Feb. 23. Parker said at the peak of the storm, over 1,000 personnel and 800 pieces of equipment would be deployed citywide to help clear the snow. A Code Blue is in effect until Wednesday.
“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.
School closures
School District of Philadelphia buildings will be closed on Monday, but school is not canceled. Students will have a virtual learning day.
Archdiocesan high school buildings will be closed on Monday, and the schools will utilize a flexible instruction day. Parish and regional elementary school buildings will be closed. These schools will also utilize a flexible instruction day on Monday.
🎒 Find the latest school closings in your neighborhood HERE.
Transportation and trash
Philadelphia trash and recycling will run on a two-day delay this week.
SEPTA has suspended all Regional Rail and bus services. The T service is being diverted to 40th and Market streets. If Regional Rail service resumes on Monday, it will follow a Saturday schedule. For updates, visit SEPTA's website. All NJ Transit service is also suspended.
About 356 flights were canceled at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday, and as of 9 p.m. Sunday, nearly 600 are canceled for Monday. Two of the four runways are closed.
Amtrak is temporarily suspending Keystone Service on Monday until noon. Eastbound trains 640, 642, 600, 644, 646, and 648 are canceled, as well as westbound trains 601, 605, 607, 661, 643, and 609. Trains 42/43 should operate normally on Monday. Other routes may be affected. For the latest updates, check the Amtrak app or visit Amtrak.com.
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.
And... If you were hoping to still get some grub delivered to your door during the storm, you may want to consider a different option. DoorDash has suspended operations across Philadelphia and New Jersey until at least noon Monday.
"A historic blizzard is bearing down on the Northeast. We’re suspending operations across impacted areas to keep our community safe. This is a serious storm — we’ll resume when it passes," said DoorDash spokesperson Julian Crowley.
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, as the state is expecting up to 24 inches. The governor said wind gusts will also be higher during this storm compared to the last storm. The state has 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."
Sherrill encouraged residents to stay off the roads during the duration of the storm on Sunday evening into Monday morning.
In Atlantic City, Mayor Marty Small said residents need to take this coming storm "seriously." He declared a state of emergency in the city ahead of the storm.
"These will be blizzard-like conditions," Small said in a press conference Saturday morning. "This will be a battle."
Small said municipal buildings in Atlantic City will be closed Monday. He also urged people living in low-lying areas to move their cars to higher ground, as there are parking restrictions now in place. They were also told to stay off the roads for the extent of the storm. Residents are urged to sign up for alerts from the city through its AC Alerts system.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer also declared a state of emergency on Sunday.
He's activating every available state resource to "ensure Delawareans are protected as this blizzard blankets our communities, including increased risks for coastal flooding."
The state could see more than a foot of snow from this storm. Officials urge residents to stay off the roads.
Snow preparations
Preparing for the heavy snowfall, Department of Transportation crews in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware have learned to be adaptable.
"We are flexible, we are going to adapt to any weather changes, so we are going to call out all of our state forces on Sunday into Monday. We'll use some contractor trucks in each of the counties, about 275 contractor trucks we can dip into depending on the intensity of the storm," said PennDOT's Brad Rudolph.
He said 60,000 tons of salt is stockpiled across the five-county region.
A commercial vehicle restriction on roads began at 3 p.m. on Sunday. That means vehicles, including motorcycles, RVs, and coach buses, are not allowed on the road.
"We're gonna concentrate on keeping those roads passable," he said. "We do advise that people, you know, sit this storm out."
Rudolph said over 400 state and contractor trucks will be on the roads around the clock during the storm.
PHL spokesperson Heather Redfern said winter weather in other parts of the country could impact flights here, so remember to always check with your airline before heading out to the airport.
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.