PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — PennDOT got in winter weather mode as crews prepared Monday for the first snow of the season.
Snow began to fall early Tuesday morning, and rain will follow throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service. It’s not expected to be heavy, but the worst of it will be further north and west in areas like Bucks County, with possibly 1 to 4 inches of snow. Accumulated snowfall will likely be an inch or less in the Philadelphia area.
Some sleet may mix in as the snow transitions to rain, creating wet and slippery road conditions.
“Our county maintenance crews will be treating the roads to get ahead of the start of this winter weather,” said Krys Johnson with PennDOT. “We’re really focused on making sure the debris is cleared from the roads.”
Johnson noted this is a team effort, so motorists need to do their part to stay safe as well.
“The most important thing to do is to not travel if you don’t have to,” she said, “but if you do have to go out on those roads, slow down. Ice can form quickly, especially on bridges and ramps.
“Even roads that look wet, they may hide invisible patches of black ice. So if the road is wet, assume it is black ice and drive slowly.”
And, she advised, always give PennDOT trucks extra space so they can properly and safely salt the roads.
❄️ FIND A LIST OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS HERE
Code Blue
Temperatures dropped to about 30 degrees overnight.
Code Blues have been issued in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, as well as Camden County, New Jersey, in anticipation of precipitation and below-freezing temperatures this week. Camden County spokesperson Dan Keashen said it’s a policy meant to aid people experiencing homelessness.
"To provide a warming center for them, to provide a place where they can get out of the elements, and stay healthy when the temperature goes below 32 degrees," he said.
Keashen said unhoused people are at risk of death during these cold stretches.
"They’re going to be susceptible to things like frostbite, to long-term damage that can take place by being exposed in the elements for too long."
A list of Camden County's warming centers can be found here. If someone in Montgomery County needs shelter, officials urge you to contact the Your Way Home Call Center at 610-278-3522.
Philadelphia is expected to issue a Code Blue at 3 p.m. Tuesday. There are four after-hours homeless intake shelters: two for families in North Philly and East Germantown, one for single men in North Philly, and one for single women in West Philly.