City leaders urged Philadelphians to stay home Sunday, if possible, as a major winter storm rolled through the region.
Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration said more than 500 trucks were deployed to plow and treat roads shortly after the precipitation began.
“Please remain off the roads if you don’t have to travel,” the mayor said at a news conference Sunday morning.
Officials said their strategy was to clear as much of the snow off the street as possible before shifting toward salting as sleet and freezing rain arrived in the afternoon. As of 1 p.m., about 7.5 inches had fallen in Philadelphia, according to the National Weather Service.
The Parker administration indicated that they planned to take the rare step of conducting a “lifting operation” to remove excess snow and deposit it at designated locations, including the Navy Yard’s unused air strip.
A trailer-sized snow melting machine, supposedly capable of melting 145 tons of snow per hour, is also being utilized, officials said. Carlton Williams, the director of the city’s Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, said the mechanism would be deployed in North Philadelphia before moving to Center City and South Philadelphia.
Parker announced a snow emergency Saturday night, and that declaration, which prohibits parking on emergency routes, will remain in effect until further notice, she said Sunday.
More than 150 cars have been towed so far from snow emergency routes, administration representatives said. A map of the streets affected is available on the city’s website.
Officials advised drivers to avoid illegally parking near corners, as such activity can prevent plowing trucks from turning, particularly onto narrow blocks.
Contrary to information that circulated on social media, the city government is not distributing free salt to residents.
Philadelphians are asked to call 911 if a tree falls onto a power line or blocks a road. Residents can also call PECO’s emergency line at 800-841-4141. Fallen limbs that do not present an immediate safety concern can be reported to 311.
Anyone in need of shelter – either due to homelessness or a lack of heat in their home – can visit one of the city’s warming centers. As of Sunday afternoon, 10 were operating; addresses and operating hours are available at phila.gov/getwarm.
Five of the warming centers – Scanlon Recreation Center, DiSilvestro Recreation Center, Samuel Recreation Center, Hub of Hope and 220 N. Broad St. – are scheduled to remain open 24/7 until Tuesday at 9 a.m., the Parker administration said.
Anyone concerned about an unsheltered person can call the city’s homeless outreach line at 215-232-1984.
The School District of Philadelphia has closed all public schools for Monday, Jan. 26. If public schools are forced to remain closed further into the week, students and teachers will participate in remote learning, district leaders announced.
Catholic elementary and high schools in the city will have a “flexibility instruction” day on Monday, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
All classes and activities are canceled Monday at the Community College of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has suspended trash and recycling collection for Monday, meaning the pickup schedule will be at least one day behind for the remainder of the week.
In addition, residents of blocks where collection is usually done in the rear driveway are asked to put their garbage out front near the curb. People in areas with twice-a-week trash pickup are advised that the second collection will not happen this week, consistent with the Sanitation Department’s holiday policy.
City administrative offices, health centers and the First Judicial District court system will be closed Monday.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said that all driver’s license and photo centers will be closed through Tuesday.
All state-controlled liquor stores, branded as Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations, are closed Sunday due to the snow.
