Philadelphia

The Big Dig Out: Nor'easter Moves Out After Dumping More Than a Foot of Snow

The snow left more than a foot of snow in some neighborhoods in New Jersey and Delaware

Philly’s snow emergency was lifted Thursday morning, SEPTA is getting back on track but some trouble at the airport and power outages remain after the nor’easter.

What to Know

  • After dumping more than a foot of snow on parts of the region, the fourth nor'easter of the month moved out early Thursday.
  • The snow totals ranged from nearly a foot and a half in the Lehigh Valley to a foot in parts of South Jersey & the Pennsylvania suburbs.
  • The storm caused schools to close and made travel treacherous.

After dumping more than a foot of snow on parts of the region, the fourth nor'easter of the month exited our area Thursday morning leaving plenty of clean up behind.

The major winter storm that battered our area for more than 24 hours completely moved out of South Jersey Thursday morning.

The storm left lots of snow in its wake. On Wednesday, the snow totals ranged from nearly a foot and a half in the Lehigh Valley to more than a foot in parts of Montgomery County to nearly a foot in South Jersey to several inches in much of Delaware. Check here for snow totals across the area.

In Philadelphia there was a range of 5 to 8 inches of snow.

People are waking up Thursday with shovels ready to start clearing sidewalks and cars. Chestnut Hill was just one neighborhood hit with several inches of snow.

The storm also caused thousands of power outages, the majority being in South Jersey, as well as some coastal flooding.

The clean up is just beginning in South Jersey after yet another big storm. Many are hoping that this is the last winter storm of the year.

SEPTA had train and bus service mostly returned to normal by Thursday morning. It took New Jersey Transit until after 1 p.m. to get its Atlantic City Rail Line going again after signal problems.

The snow was heavy and wet. Sleet compacted the snow, making it strenuous to shovel. Those with heart conditions or back troubles should avoid shoveling in the morning. 

As people dig out Thursday, the snow started to melt temperatures pushed into the low 40s.

Conditions should be partly sunny and in the low 40s for the next few days. Then we could see more snow Sunday. Check with NBC10 and the app for more details as Sunday draws closer.

Wednesday's storm made travel treacherous for anyone who ventured onto roadways Wednesday. By 10 a.m., poor conditions had already led to a tractor-trailer crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a police-involved crash on I-95 in Philadelphia.

Most malls, museums, schools and offices throughout the region were closed for most of the day.

Mass cancellations were reported for air, rail, and transit travel. About 700 flights heading to and leaving from Philadelphia International Airport were canceled Wednesday. Some flights cancellations and delays remained Thursday.

A First Alert went into effect noon Tuesday and lasted until late Wednesday night. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning lasting from Tuesday night through early Thursday.

Numerous towns and cities declared snow emergencies in preparation of the storm. The entire State of New Jersey was also under a State of Emergency.

The nor'easter — the fourth this month and the one that arrived on the first day of spring — struck in two parts. 

The first wave of the nor'easter doused the region Tuesday morning with a wintry mix of sleet and rain. There was a lull late Tuesday night. But the storm slowly ramped up around midday Wednesday as the nor'easter intensified off-shore.

Colder temperatures, coupled with heavy snow bands, allowed the snow to accumulate on roads and sidewalks.

Schools in the Philadelphia suburbs dismissed early Tuesday and schools in both the Philadelphia Archdiocese and Philadelphia School District were closed Wednesday. They will open on a two-hour delay Thursday. Sign up for free school closing alerts here.

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