Snow emergency remains in effect for Philadelphia as winter storm makes an icy turn

It’s unknown when the snow emergency will be lifted in Philadelphia or the rest of the region as snow continues to fall, and some areas are bracing for a transition to sleet and freezing rain.

Mayor Cherelle Parker spoke Sunday morning from inside a salt dome in Holmesburg, saying crews continue to fight the cold and snow with 1,000 city workers and 600 pieces of equipment.

“Please remain off the roads unless you absolutely have to travel,” Parker urged.

City crews do more than just plow; they’re also working to melt the snow that’s fallen on city streets. The city will move snow from some neighborhoods and either use a melting apparatus or store it in parking lots. The snow melter can go through 135,000 tons of snow per hour to eliminate snow from the streets.

Periodic road closures will be required to remove the snow, according to the mayor, who is also concerned about the transition from snow to ice, which increases the possibility of power outages.

“Now is the time, please do what you can to check on your neighbors, especially seniors,” she said. ”Please help them. It’s the right thing to do.”

If you see someone outside needing help, you can call 215-232-1984 to have a crew come assist them.

Officials said they cannot start using ice-melting salt and chemicals until the roads are scraped down, because they will not melt through the snow.

“We have a long way to go,” said Carlton Williams, who is managing the city’s snow-fighting operation. He said the accumulation started at about 3 a.m. and increased by 7 a.m. The city expects 10 inches or more by the time the storm is over.

Plows hit city streets at 5 a.m. Williams said the goal is to stay ahead of the storm so that accumulations do not become “unplowable.” He reiterated the call for people to stay off the streets so that plowing can continue to prepare for the upcoming wintry ice mix.

The city is working to manage its salt reserves and has not “given away salt,” as some people have posted on social media.

“This is a matter of life and death in some cases if we don’t get this right,” Williams said.

Williams said the streets remain dangerous and urged people to stay off the streets until the city can clear the snow.

In addition to conventional trash truck plows, the city is also using pickups and even ATVs equipped with plows to clean some of the smaller streets. Williams encouraged people with snowblowers not to blow snow into the streets, because that hampers the city’s cleanup efforts.

Williams said the city is calling for patience and that people calling the city’s non-emergency call center, 311, will have their problems addressed, but that it won’t be done quickly.

SEPTA suspends bus, Regional Rail service

SEPTA will suspend service as of 2 p.m. Sunday on Regional Rail, bus and paratransit services. Scott Sauer, SEPTA general manager, said the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines will continue to run.

“By taking a proactive approach, we will greatly reduce the chances a vehicle becomes disabled and strands customers,” he said. “We are going to need time. We will get to every parking lot, every station, but it will take time to do so.”

SEPTA has 6,000 tons of salt to get the system ready for when service can resume. Sauer expects “significant challenges through the week” and predicts significant trip cancellations and other issues as the week progresses.

Dominic Mireles, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management, said more than two dozen city agencies are staffing the Emergency Operations Center in the Fire Administration Building.

Officials said there have been numerous car accidents and spinouts on major highways, and that the bad conditions will continue for the next several days.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said officers have towed more than 150 cars from snow emergency routes, and asked people to stay off critical arteries. The city’s 911 lines have seen a lower volume of calls, which the commissioner said is indicative that people are heeding the city’s call to stay inside.

There have already been people “saving” parking spots, and Bethel said they will ticket people who do that. The saving of spots has caused confrontations in the past, and he clarified that the practice is illegal and that violators will be fined.

The fire department has increased the number of medic units on the street to make sure they have enough equipment and personnel. Officials reminded people with space heaters not to use extension cords, and that if you use a generator, to make sure it’s outside and not in a garage.

The city is working to get unhoused Philadelphians off the streets and has opened warming centers to give those without a home a place to get warm. Deputy Managing Director Crystal Yates-Gale said the warming centers will be in libraries during the day and recreation centers during the night. The facilities will be open through the week, with cots and food for people to survive the extreme weather. The city has capacity in the shelter system with 285 additional slots available as of Sunday.

New Jersey officials: Stay off the roads

Like the rest of the region, New Jersey remains under a state of emergency that went into effect at 5 p.m. Saturday. Commercial vehicle restrictions went into effect at midnight, with exemptions for those carrying food, fuel and medical supplies, in addition to utility workers, public safety officials and essential workers.

Bus, light rail and Access Link services were suspended as of 4 a.m. Sunday, while commuter rail service will end at 2 p.m. Sunday.

“It is icy and snowy out and you don’t need to be on the road if you don’t need to be on the road,” said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in a live interview this morning on WHYY-FM.

She said the forecasted shift from heavy snowfall to sleet and freezing rain later Sunday makes it challenging for state officials to plan their response.

“It’s really a kind of complicated calculation where this is largely a plowing event we anticipate with the heavy snowfall,” Sherrill said. “But then, as you plow the snow off, as it turns into ice, you’ll see a salting event to try to melt that ice, so then you can re-plow it. So there are a lot of calculations going on how we maintain these roads as best as possible.”

She encouraged drivers to stay off the roads. “The best thing you can do to help all those hard-working people is to stay off the roads,” she said.

Delaware driving restrictions

Delaware has implemented “Level 2 Driving Restrictions” as of 10 a.m. for New Castle and Kent counties. That means only snowplow operators and other essential workers are allowed on Delaware’s roads, with exemptions for health care workers and food and fuel deliveries.

The road conditions are “not pleasant,” said C.R. McLeod, of the Delaware Department of Transportation, in a social media video posted this morning as he stood along Route 1. “Thankfully, traffic volumes are very light, which means people are heeding the advice and staying home today.”

Gov. Matt Meyer signed a state of emergency declaration at 5 p.m. Saturday, which mobilizes state resources and activates the Delaware National Guard to respond.

“Delawareans should always feel secure in their communities, especially during severe winter weather,” Meyer said in a statement. “Avoid being on the roads once the storm begins. … Together, let’s make sure every Delawarean stays safe and warm this weekend.”