Philly sees its biggest snowstorm in 10 years as bitter temperatures promise to keep slushy conditions around for days

The Philadelphia area was blanketed with its biggest snowfall in 10 years Sunday before a pervasive winter storm transitioned to sleet and freezing rain, bringing impacts that will likely be felt the rest of the week.

The National Weather Service measured 9.1 inches of snow at the Philadelphia International Airport, the most recorded since January 2016.

Temperatures are expected to remain below freezing for the rest of the week. Monday’s high of 29 degrees Fahrenheit will be the warmest of the week, per the NWS in Mount Holly. Lows will stay in the single digits, even dropping to 2 degrees by Thursday night.

Wind chills will range from the single digits to the teens during the day, dropping to between 0 and -10 overnight in most areas. As a result, snow will melt slowly, though conditions will remain dry and sunny for much of the week.

The School District of Philadelphia will be closed Monday because of the storm.

Minimal power outages reported

Roughly two-thirds of the country experienced winter weather this weekend. Thousands of Americans were without power, but as of Sunday evening, no major outages had been reported in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware as a result of the storm.

Transportation delays

Regional Rail is expected to operate on a Saturday schedule on Monday, though weather-related delays or suspensions are possible.

SEPTA suspended Regional Rail and bus service at 2 p.m. Sunday. Further detours, delays and suspensions are also likely Monday. SEPTA advised riders to check alerts at SEPTA.org or the SEPTA app before heading out.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker urged people to stay off the roads as roughly 1,000 city workers using 600 pieces of equipment work to clear the streets. 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.

State of emergency remains in effect in Pa., N.J. and Del.

Governors in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware all signed state of emergency declarations ahead of the winter storm. The states will be mobilizing resources in order to aid communities with winter storm response efforts. Vehicle restrictions were also put in place as people are not recommended to travel during the weather event.

​​An Enhanced Code Blue is in effect in Philadelphia until further notice. During extreme cold — when temperatures feel near or below 20 degrees, or when there is precipitation and the temperature is 32 degrees or lower — Philadelphia officials will declare a Code Blue.

If residents see a person who appears to be unhoused during a Code Blue, they are urged to contact the city’s Homeless Outreach Hotline at 215-232-1984. Residents concerned about an older adult during extremely cold weather are urged to contact the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging at 215-765-9040.