Snow moves out, freezing cold temperatures moving in

For the second time in a week snow hit the Philadelphia region, this time with many children at home as the flakes fell in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Hundreds of schools either closed or switched to virtual learning ahead of the winter storm

The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team issued a 🚨 First Alert 🚨 for accumulating snow leading to slippery conditions and travel delays for the entire area from South Jersey to the Lehigh Valley on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.

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Philadelphia, Wilmington and surrounding suburbs were under a winter storm warning. One spot in Delaware already had 6 inches of snow on the ground by mid afternoon.

Snow falls throughout the region ❄️

Snow fell through much of the Philadelphia region before daybreak and remained mostly steady through the morning, afternoon and into the early evening. The system began to taper off as the night continued.

First Alert Weather Jan 10

Is school open? Get list of school closings

First Alert Weather Jan 19

Snow Cam ❄️: What did it look like as snow fell in Philly?

How much snow fell? ❄️

As of 7 p.m., at least 4 inches of snow had fallen in Boothwyn, Cherry Hill, Smyrna, Willow Grove, Woodbury and other neighborhoods in the Delaware, Pennsylvania and South Jersey suburbs. Clayton, Delaware, had already reported 6 inches of snow. Nearly 3 inches had fallen at Philadelphia International Airport.

Get growing list of snow totals near you.

Those totals were on par with the estimated snow totals the First Alert Weather Team expected before the storm.

There was enough snow on top of the ice from the earlier storm by midday in Mount Ephraim, Camden County, for NBC10's Brenna Weick to sled down the hill -- even if she wound up turning backwards.

Conditions were also perfect for sledding in Cherry Hill, which NBC10's Brian Sheehan took advantage of while reporting live on air.

States of emergency in Philly, NJ

Philadelphia was under its first snow emergency in a couple of years. It started at 7 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m.

The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management explained what that means:

"A Snow Emergency means all parked vehicles must be moved off snow emergency routes for plowing. When moving your car, park as far from the corner of the street as possible; vehicles parked too close to the corner get in the way of snowplows trying to turn corners.

"Snow emergency routes, primary roads, and secondary roads will be serviced first to allow for safe passage. Residential streets will be treated after the primary and secondary roads are safe to travel. This does not mean roads will be completely clear of snow and ice but made passable for safe traveling.

"We strongly encourage people to stay home and off the roads as much as possible. The frigid temperatures and cold ground will make it easy for snow to accumulate and cause slippery travel on untreated roadways."

Mayor Cherelle Parker urged people to "take this moment to slow down, exercise caution if you are traveling, and take care of our neighbors."

"Today it's snowing, but I'm seeing Philly shine," Parker then said at the midday Friday news conference as a Northeast Philadelphia salt yard.

Parker said her administration was focused on not only clearing major streets and highways, but also smaller back streets in a timely manner. They used tons of salt to keep roads passable.

Parker and other city leaders gave another update on Philly's response to the snow during a press conference shortly after 4 p.m.

“People are heeding the call to stay home and off the roads. Neighbors and community members are checking in on one another and those who can’t are taking care of those in need,” Mayor Parker said. “But we are nowhere near done. The winter storm is here and the roads that are drivable now are going to become undrivable this evening. Things that are bad now may get worse as we head towards the nightfall.”

Managing Director Adam Thiel used a football reference when talking about the city's progress during the afternoon presser.

“I’m not sure that I should use football references anymore. However, I’m inspired by the Eagles garb that I see some of our colleagues wearing and I wanted to make the point," he said. "We’re in the third quarter. It’s not over. We still have time to go. The good news is, thanks to our coach’s leadership, thanks to the mayor’s leadership, we’re winning. We are ahead. We are not playing catchup."

Thiel said the snow was starting to taper off late Friday afternoon but that it was "not done."

"We still need time – as you heard the mayor said – to do the finish work. To finish the fight," he said.

Thiel also mentioned the services that were available for Philadelphians amid the snowstorm and bitter cold temperatures expected to follow.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy had announced a state of emergency in effect ahead of the storm. The action alows "resources to be deployed throughout the state during the duration of the storm," Murphy's office notes.

Gotta shovel snow? Here are some tips to keep you safe

Snow shoveling can be rough on the body, especially for older people and people with health conditions. The American Heart Association warns people are at a greater risk for heart attack while shoveling.

While clearing snow, be sure to stretch beforehand, take breaks during and drink lots of fluids before and after as you could dehydrate.

Philadelphia officials urged people to help their neighbors out and road crews out as you shovel the snow.

"Please do not throw it back in the street," Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams said.

Full list of school closings, delays

Before the end of the school day on Thursday, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that all Archdiocesan high schools and parochial elementary schools would be closed Friday.

All schools in the Philadelphia School District were closed for a snow day.

NBC10's Deanna Durante spoke with the superintendent for the Norristown School District to find out why officials there decided to make Friday a virtual learning day rather than a day off for the storm.

In total, hundreds of schools made the decision to close Friday.

That allowed plenty of kids the chance to sled and have fun in the snow.

Click here for our First Alert Weather School Closings page.

What's closed?

Chester County courts and offices and courts in Philadelphia, Kent and New Castle counties were closed Friday.

Attractions such as the Eastern State Penitentiary and National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Elmwood Park Zoo in Montgomery County and Longwood Gardens in Chester County closed due to the weather.

What if I need to drive somewhere?

Officials urged people not to travel unless they needed to.

Ahead of the storm, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) advised "motorists to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm."

A commercial vehicle travel restriction was issued for many interstate highways in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The restriction went into effect starting at 3 a.m. Friday and was lifted at 7 p.m.

With temps plummeting heading into Saturday, roads are expected to be very icy overnight.

For those who must hit the road, AAA Mid-Atlantic suggests you remove all snow from your car before you go, pay attention to any adjusted speed limits, don't tailgate and stay calm should your car skid.

Basically, if you need to drive, slow down and give plows and salt trucks room to work.

For drivers who made their way into Center City or needed to get off snow emergency routes, the Philadelphia Parking Authority offered a flat $5 rate for 24 hours at six garages.

How do you walk on icy sidewalks?

Any leftover snow on the ground is not expected to melt. So, watch out for slippery spots and walk like a penguin to avoid falling. This video explains how to stay safe.

When does the next Arctic blast begin? 🥶

Temps are plunging heading into the weekend. Lows on Saturday and Sunday will be in the teens.

The feels-like temps on Saturday morning are expected to be in the single digits and the highs Saturday aren't expected to get out of the mid 20s.

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Exposure to temps that are 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.

Relief from the frigid conditions is on the horizon. Temps trend upward on Monday with the high above freezing ahead of rain to end next workweek.

Want to show us what the snow is like by you?

See it, share it. Click here to send photos and videos of you and your kids playing in the snow.

Keep track of all the school closings, wintry weather and anything else Mother Nature brings our way by downloading the latest version of the NBC10 app.