New Nor'easter to Dump Several Inches of Heavy Snow

Click here for the latest as the storm impacts the region.

As the Philadelphia region struggles to rebound from last week's major winter storm, a new nor'easter is moving through our region and is expected to deliver heavy, wet snow and gusty winds to most areas.

The storm moved in Tuesday night and will last through Wednesday night. The height of the storm will likely strike during the Wednesday evening commute with heavy, wet snow, blanketing roads and sidewalks and making for dangerous travel.

A First Alert went into effect at 11 p.m. Tuesday and will last through 7 a.m. Thursday.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf declared a State of Emergency for many eastern counties, including Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh and Philadelphia.

“We are working with state agency partners to make sure county emergency management coordinators have quick and unfettered access to state resources as they’re needed," he said on Twitter.

A Snow Emergency was also declared for Philadelphia starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

In neighboring New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy declared a State of Emergency for the entire state starting Tuesday at 8 p.m. through the end of the storm. The focus of the emergency is northern New Jersey but Murphy wants all residents to be prepared with tips from the Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) and asked drivers to stay off roads.

"We're erring on the side of caution," Murphy said.

Murphy said he would later declare if statewide offices and courts would be closed. The declaration allows NJOEM to employ resources and police to needed areas (NJOEM has more on what it means to you).

Municipalities around the region also declared snow emergencies ahead of the storm. You should check with your local town about possible parking restrictions, trash pickup and other services for Wednesday.

Concerned about the wellbeing of students, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia canceled school Wednesday for all city grade and high schools. Hundreds of other schools followed suit. Check here for school closings for Wednesday's storm.

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Before the first flake fell, SEPTA changed its Regional Rail schedules for Wednesday and Amtrak modified its Northeast Corridor service.

Temperatures will be near freezing and some of the snow may melt initially. But don't be deceived, the heavier snow is expected later in the day. The wet snow will be heavy and difficult to remove. Those with heart conditions should avoid shoveling the so-called "heart attack snow." You should also check on your neighbors. 

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TIMING:

Midnight - Changing to snow north and west

Wednesday 8 a.m. - Mixing line falls to the I-95 Corridor. It will remain along the stretch from Wilmington to Philly to Trenton through the morning commute. It will wobble north at times… So, wet snow and rain mix together. Some sleet briefly mixing is possible. Everything is melting as it hits ground in Philly. 

Noon - The rain/snow line falls into New Castle County and South Jersey. Snow has already been accumulating over the Lehigh Valley, Berks County and the suburbs and is now starting to stick in Philly and along I-95. South Jersey’s snow melts at first, then starts to stick, too. 

3 to 8 p.m. - Steady to heavy snowfall from South Jersey northward. This thump of snow leads to lowered visibility, sticking to trees and power lines. The heavy snow could tug them down. The evening commute is the worst time to drive.

8 to 11 p.m. - Snow lightens up as it moves out to the East.

Thursday morning - The storm has cleared out.

Philadelphia is on the cusp of higher estimated snow totals so its possible people in Manayunk and East Falls could see inches more of snow than folks in South Philly.

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EXPECTED SNOW TOTALS

8 to 12 Inches

• The Poconos
• Lehigh Valley including Allentown and Bethlehem
• Berks County including Reading
• Northern Chester County including Coatesville
• Northern and western sections of Montgomery and Bucks counties including Pottstown, Pennsburg, Quakertown and Perkasie

6 to 10 Inches

• Southern Chester County including Kennett Square, West Chester and Malvern
• Central and southern Montgomery and Bucks counties including Abington, King of Prussia, Lansdale, Willow Grove, Bristol, Lower Merion Township and Doylestown
• Most of Mercer County (with exception to the southern edge) including Ewing and Hopewell townships and Trenton
• Extreme northwestern Philadelphia including Chestnut Hill and Roxborough
  
• Northernmost edge of Delaware County
  

2 to 6 Inches

• Most of Philadelphia
• Most of Delco including Chester, Radnor Township and Havertown
• Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties including Mount Laurel, Tabernacle, Camden, Cherry Hill, Washington Township, Glassboro, Pittsgrove Township, and Woodstown
• Northern Delaware including Wilmington and New Castle

1 to 3 Inches

• Northern half of Kent County including Dover 
• Most of Cumberland County including Vineland and the western half of Atlantic County will be on low end (1 to 2 inches likely)

Rain to 1 Inch

• Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties including Atlantic City, Cape May and Long Beach Township
• Sussex County including Lewes, and Rehoboth Beach

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs while a Winter Storm Watch is in effect for South Jersey and northern Delaware with the exception of the Jersey Shore.

Power outages will be a big concern due to a combination of the heavy, wet snow as well as 25-35 mph winds and gusts up to 40 mph that could bring down tree branches and power lines, creating more power outages.

Though the wind will not be as strong as the last storm, the ground remains soft from our wet pattern making it likely trees — weakened in the past storm — could fall. All of this will undermine efforts to get neighborhoods back on the electrical grid after the last storm. 

• Don't get left in the dark during this nor'easter. Rely on the FREE NBC10 app for instant updates and breaking news. Download here.

This new storm comes less than a week after a storm packing winds of 60-plus mph knocked out power to more than half a million customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. That powerful winter storm stunned commuters during the Friday afternoon rush hour, as colder-than-expected temperatures caused unexpectedly sloppy road conditions. The slippery surfaces combined with many falling trees to create gridlock seemingly everywhere for hours.

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As of Tuesday morning, about 24,000 PECO customers remained in the dark.

Dozens of schools throughout the region were either closed or holding delayed openings Monday due to power issues. 

And, if you are planning to fly out of Philadelphia Wednesday or Thursday, check with your airline because some airlines, including United, have issued travel waivers.

Our team will be updating the forecast throughout the day. Check back here for the latest information.