Montgomery County Storm Updates: Code Blue, Road Conditions

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Montgomery County is bracing for yet another major 2021 winter storm, with six to eight inches of snow possible across the county. The precipitation could be mixed in with freezing rain and sleet as the storm wears on.

A winter storm warning went into effect for Montgomery County at 4 a.m. Thursday morning.

"Travel could be very difficult," the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety said on Wednesday. "The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning, Thursday evening, and Friday morning commutes. Please stay at home if at all possible."

Crews hit the roads at 5 a.m. to begin clearing snow. By around 12:30 p.m., officials in the county to warning of slick road conditions, even where things are clear.

The code blue has been extended until Sunday, Feb. 21 at 11 a.m.

RELATED: Latest Eastern PA Snowfall Estimates, Timing For Thursday Storm

Here are the latest updates from around the county:

Snow totals

The National Weather Service reports the following snow totals:

• Norristown, 10.2
• Abington, 10
• King of Prussia, 9.3
• Lower Moreland, 8.5
• Willow Grove, 8
• Whitemarsh, 7.8
• Glenside, 7.3
• Valley Forge, 7
• Plymouth Meeting, 6.5
• Elkins Park, 6.3
• Conshohocken, 6
• West Norriton, 6
• Wynnewood, 6
• Horsham, 5.5
• Hatboro, 5
• Ambler, 5
• Bala Cynwyd, 5
• Eagleville, 4.9
• Jenkintown, 4
• Blue Bell, 4
• Royersford, 3.8
• Lansdale, 3.8
• Schwenksville, 3.8
• New Hanover, 3.8
• Skippack, 3.5
• Lower Frederick, 3.5
• Pottstown, 3.3
• Gilberstville, 3
• Telford, 2.7

The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety indicates that the highest accumulations are in the Pennsylvania Turnpike corridor. Elsewhere in the county, Eagleville has received about 4.5 inches.

COVID-19 closures

The county's vaccination clinic at Norristown Area High School is closed on Thursday and Friday. The Montgomery County Community College site is also closed Thursday. Those who have had appointments impacted have been notified via email, the county said.

All six of the county's COVID-19 testing sites will be closed on both Thursday and Friday, as well.

Snow emergencies

Snow emergencies have been declared in numerous municipalities across Montgomery County. This means that vehicles must be removed from designated emergency routes so that plows can clear them, and emergency vehicles can have access if need be.

School schedule shifts

Many school districts will have fully remote instruction on Thursday due to the weather, while others are opting for a traditional snow day. For some districts that were already fully remote for reasons related to the pandemic, the storm spurred no changes to their schedules.

Fully remote districts on Thursday include North Penn, Norristown, Upper Moreland, Perkiomen Valley, Methacton, and others. Districts holding a traditional snow day include Abington and Cheltenham.

Roads

Crews were out preparing roads around the county for the storm Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

The county maintains more than 75 miles of roadway and 131 bridges, which they said is the equivalent of 150 "snow lane miles" — counting the lanes of a road into the equation — that need to be covered.

To handle that load, the county has 14 snowplow drivers, eight subcontracted road workers, 11 tucks with both salt spreaders, two dump trucks with plows, and three front-end loaders used to fill trucks with salt, and replace salt at the county's storage facilities. That's all in addition to preparations being made at the municipal level.

Outages

Outages should be reported to your local utility provider; do not call 911. Check the PECO outage map for details.

Check back for more details on road conditions and the storm as they become available.