What to Know
- Several inches of snow fell on neighborhoods from Philadelphia to Delaware to New Jersey overnight Monday into Tuesday.
- Even after steady snow tapered off Tuesday morning, freezing rain and sleet continued to fall, causing slippery conditions and a slushy mess.
- Temps are expected to plummet heading into Wednesday and will feel like the single digits come morning.
Editor's Note (Jan. 17, 2024): This story is no longer being updated. For the latest on the bitter cold and next snow, click here.
Snow fell on much of the Philadelphia region Monday night into Tuesday morning, leaving schools delayed and roads messy.
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People were urged to leave extra time to go where you need to with snow covering many roads, outside of the major highways where crews treated and plowed overnight.
As expected, by the Tuesday morning commute 2 to 4 inches of snow had accumulated in neighborhoods from Chester to Montgomery to New Castle counties -- some places getting their first shovelable snow in a couple years. Bethel Township in Delaware County had 4 inches fall, while Philadelphia International Airport reported 3.3 inches of snow, according to National Weather Service data.
Steady snow was tapering off before daybreak, but bands of snow, a wintry mix or even some freezing rain should be expected into the afternoon. Luckily the ice was falling on snow, which makes it less impactful.
However, you could still be dealing with a slippery, slushy mess that is expected to freeze solid overnight on surfaces that aren't properly cleared.
Once the wintry weather moves out, temps will plummet to the coldest temps we've experienced in almost a year with lows in the teens in Philadelphia by Wednesday morning and feeling like the single digits as winds could gust up to 30 mph.
High temps -- without the wind chill - aren't expected to get out of the 20s in most places Wednesday and will feel even chillier.
Exposure to temps that frigid is dangerous to your health and you should limit your time outside. Here are some tips to keep you safe and warm if you need to head out in the bitter cold.
Is school open? Get list of school closings, delays
Hundreds of schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware were delayed Tuesday morning. Some -- including the Central Bucks School District and Lower Merion School District on the Main Line -- decided to close Tuesday morning.
Click here for our First Alert Weather School Closings page.
The School District of Philadelphia said all their schools and programs will operate on a normal schedule Tuesday.
Archdiocesan high schools and parochial elementary school buildings in the City of Philadelphia will be closed on Tuesday
Ground stop at Philly International Airport
PHL Airport was even reporting some freezing rain before 7 a.m. Be sure to check your flight before you go, the airport said.
Tuesday's wintry weather led the FAA to issue a ground stop for inbound flights until 1 p.m. at PHL. The ground stop has now been lifted at of 3 p.m.
The airport said there will be a delay for inbound flights until 6:59 p.m.
Snow blankets the region leaving icy road conditions
It's been nearly two years since Philadelphia and surrounding communities had inches of snow fall, it led to some beautiful scenes Monday night into Tuesday. It also left snow plow drivers hard at work, especially in the Pennsylvania suburbs.
Chester County closed its government offices, facilities and courts on Tuesday due to the weather.
All state offices in New Castle and Kent counties in Delaware opened late Tuesday due to the snow.
It also led to slippery roads. Drivers aren't used to these conditions. Snow covered roads in Philadelphia's Manayunk neighborhood before daybreak.
AAA Mid-Atlantic said the best bet is to stay home to avoid icy roads. If you do venture out, make sure you have rock salt or kitty litter, extra clothes, snacks and windshield wiper fluid in your car.
Also, it's the law in Pennsylvania to remove snow from your car before you go. Also, don't use cruise control and don't panic while taking it easy in snowy conditions.
How areas prepared for the snow, rain and ice
Public works crews were out in the Pennsylvania suburbs pretreating the streets in anticipation of the snow, rain and possibly ice.
Drivers were cautioned to be careful if you're heading out Tuesday. The best bet is that if you don't have anywhere to go, to sit tight and allow crews time to clear roads.
Got snow on the sidewalk or driveway? Be sure to clear it out during the day as temps will freeze anything left on the ground overnight.
More snow expected
Bill Henley expects there to be another chance for snow in the region before the end of the week, with snow likely on Friday. Around 1 to 3 inches could wind up falling in that upcoming system, which looks a lot like what just hit.
Cold temperatures are expected to stick around as well as high struggle to get past freezing heading into the weekend.
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