Philadelphia

Storm Leaves Close to a Foot of Snow

Snow moves out and another deep freeze moves in.

All Philadelphia School District schools and Philadelphia Archdiocese schools will be closed Friday as the region continues to dig themselves out of the biggest snowstorm of the season.

Both the Archdiocese and the Philadelphia School District made the announcement Thursday night. Philadelphia School District Administrative Offices will be open two hours late Friday.

More than 10 inches fell in parts of Delaware, Chester, Lehigh and Montgomery Counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Philadelphia, which saw 9 inches of snow across most of the city, lifted its snow emergency at midnight.

Now that the snow is gone, the new issue is bitter cold temperatures which is causing re-freezing on roads. Temperatures dropped to single digits in parts of the area and we're in for near record cold Friday morning.

Snow plowed roads will turn into icy sheets if they aren't treated by the morning rush.

We'll stay dry Friday with sunshine and highs in the mid-20's. Then we're finally in for a warmup over the weekend with highs in the mid-40's Sunday and mid-50's by the middle and end of next week.

Storm's Intensity

The storm reached its peak intensity around 9 a.m. Thursday. Snow was falling at a rate between 1 and 2 inches an hour in Philadelphia. Some neighborhoods already reported 3 inches of snow on the ground by midmorning.

Pennsylvania State Police reported near whiteout conditions along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in West Charlestown Township.

Two tractor-trailers jackknifed along the highway — one crashing into the trees off the road — near mile marker 318, state police said. No one was hurt.

New Jersey State Police said there were more than 130 vehicle crashes in the South and Central Regions and along the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

In Philadelphia, SEPTA suspended five bus routes after 35 buses became stuck in the snow including one in the Cedarbrook neighborhood where riders had to be moved to an auxiliary bus to continue their journey. SEPTA also suspended service on the Wilmington-Newark, Chestnut Hill West and Cynwyd regional rail lines due to power problems.

Closures and Delays

Snow emergencies went into effect in the State of New Jersey and a number of municipalities across the region Thursday including Philadelphia. City officials eventually shut down nonessential  operations at 1 p.m.

New Jersey authorized a delayed opening of 11 a.m. for all nonessential state employees Thursday. Essential employees should still report to work on their normal schedule. All state offices were closed in Delaware.

More than 900 schools and districts, including all Philadelphia public and parochial schools, closed for the day.

In Philadelphia, parking on snow emergency routes was banned, trash collections canceled and city courts closed.

On the roads, officials announced 35 mph speed restrictions on all Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) bridges. SEPTA expected regular service but warned there could be delays or detours on some bus routes.

Among community closings, the Philadelphia Zoo will leave its gates locked to visitors because of the storm.

Snowstorm Photos & Video

Take a look at some of the great shots you're posting from across the region:

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