The first of three storms finally moved out after heavy, wet snow fell throughout the region, battering the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys on Monday.
Up to 9 inches of snow piled up in parts of the Pa. suburbs, including 9 inches in West Ambler and 8 inches in Royersford. Higher snow totals were also being seen in Central and Northern New Jersey prompting Gov. Chris Christie to declare a state of emergency in the state. That activation means government offices closed early.
In Philadelphia, officials decided to not declare a snow emergency in hoping that employers would keep employees in the house until after the heart of the storm passed. The hope was to avoid the mass exodus that gridlocked the city during an earlier storm.
NBC10 First Alert Weather chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz said snow fell in some parts mid-morning at a rate of more than 1 inch an hour. Philly was hit hard but the most snow hit north of the city with up to 1 foot possible in parts of Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Berks and Mercer Counties.
By midday, more than 8 inches had fallen in parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties, according to the National Weather Service.
By early afternoon, snow had fallen on parts of Delaware and South Jersey as well as to points north and west.
The wintry weather closed Philadelphia public schools and many other districts before even the first flake fell in the city.
Downed trees caused traffic and power problems around the area. Over in Camden, the city campus of Camden Community College closed due to a power outage that knocked out power to more than 1,300 customers. In Pennsylvania, more than 13,000 PECO customers lost power during the storm including thousands in Springfield Township Montgomery County where a transformer fire knocked out power.
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The storm also caused a slew of accidents including a three tractor-trailer wreck that closed the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike west of the Carlisle Interchange (Exit 226). There were also accidents on the Blue Route and I-95 southbound before Exit 3.
And, driving along area side streets spinning tires were the norm.
In hilly Conshohocken, frustration over cars and trucks stuck in the snow boiled over to the point where motorists began screaming aloud as police tried to clear the scene.
SEPTA also had delays and cancellations on certain bus routes. And, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at Philly International Airport -- in total one-quarter of the airport's flights (364) were canceled Monday.
While the storm is gone, remaining slush and freezing temperatures overnight could lead to a messy morning commute on Tuesday.
- Timeline & Snow Totals for Monday
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Several towns tried to get ahead of the storm. Cheltenham Township, Abington Township and others declared a snow emergency Monday.
Monday’s snow is just the beginning of a stormy week. Heading into Friday the city had seen more than 37 inches at Philly International Airport. That total is sure to increase this week. From Tuesday night through Wednesday a mixture of rain, snow and ice will move into the area. The period of freezing rain could create slippery roads, power outages and flooding.
"This one will have more moisture than No. 1 and have a much greater contrast across the area," Schwartz said. "South Jersey, Delaware and Philadelphia should get just about all rain, but it could be more than an inch of it. That, plus temps getting into the 40s will melt a lot of snow and potentially cause flooding problems. This could also lead to some river flooding, due to ice jams at some point."
For more details on what to expect for Storm #2, including timeline and expected totals, click here.
