Philadelphia Declares Snow Emergency As More Winter Weather Comes

PHILADELPHIA — A snow emergency is in effect in Philadelphia.

The snow emergency went into effect at 6 a.m. Thursday and will be in place until further notice.

During the snow emergency, all parked vehicles must be moved off Snow Emergency routes for plowing. When moving vehicles, 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 information and a map of Snow Emergency routes is available online here.

Vehicles left on Snow Emergency routes will be moved to other parking spots to assist in snow plowing operations. If your vehicle is moved, call 215-686-7669, and press option four, to find it, or visit the Philadelphia Parking Authority's website here for its location. Do not call 911.

The Streets Department will have a full deployment of equipment and employees. The department will deploy more than 400 pieces of equipment including support from city agencies and contractors. Crews brined roads all day Wednesday in preparation for the weather.

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.

Residents are reminded of the following:

• Do not shovel or plow snow into the street. This practice is illegal, unsafe and hinders snow operations. The penalty for violating this can range from $50 to $300 for each violation.
• Clear a sidewalk path at least 36 inches wide within six hours of the end of the storm.
• Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain.
• Motorists should allow extra time, exercise patience and maintain safe driving distances.

Due to the weather, trash and recycling collections for Thrusday are suspended to allow crews and sanitation vehicles to conduct snow operations. Collections will resume Friday, however residents should expect delays as crews navigate through the snow and ice.

Wednesday's collections, which were scheduled for Thursday this week due to the Presidents Day holiday, are postponed until Friday, and Thursday's collections are postponed until Saturday

Residents whose normal trash day is Friday should hold their materials until Friday.

Residents may set materials at their normal pickup location. Residents with rear driveway collections should expect delays as some rear driveways can be inaccessible when there is significant hard-packed snow and ice. Crews will continue to assess inaccessible driveways and attempt to pick up materials when sanitation trucks can pass through safely.

Sanitation Convenience Centers will be closed on Thursday as crews will be working snow duty. Center operations will resume on Friday 19 with normal hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The centers are open Monday through Saturday. Visit the Streets Department website here for locations.

PResidents can no track plowing in the city with the new PlowPHL app, which features an interactive map that allows residents to track and monitor the status of the city’s plowing and salting operations. PlowPHL is the fourth and final web mapping tool on the StreetSmartPHL platform.

All property owners and/or tenants are responsible for clearing a 36 inch path on all sidewalks, including curb cuts, abutting the building or premises within six hours after the snow has ceased to fall—even if the establishment is temporarily closed due to snow or COVID-19 restrictions. A fine of $50 or more can be imposed in violation of this code.

Establishments with outdoor dining will need to take additional precautions in advance of the storm. All outdoor dining setups should be secured, removing as much of the setups as possible—including tables, chairs, heating equipment, temporary structures. As noted in the city's winter guidelines for outdoor dining, the city is not liable for any damage from plowing or snow removal, even if structures are permitted. Materials should be cleared from the right of way as much as possible to avoid possible damage and blocking of dining setups. Restaurants with unpermitted structures are reminded that their establishment is liable for any injuries suffered due to damage from the structure during and after the storm.

Some meal sites and food distribution sites will be closed on Thursday due to the weather. Visit the city's website here to view specific site schedules.

Access Centers will be closed for the full day on Thursday. Caregivers of students will be called by program staff to inform them of this change. Students who attend Access Centers should contact their individual schools regarding attendance while Access Centers are closed.

The School District of Philadelphia will close all buildings Thursday, including all Family Technology Support Centers, Specialized Services Regional Centers, district headquarters at 440 North Broad Street and all school buildings. These closures will allow for the safe clearing of snow from all roadways and walkways on District properties.

City-run coronavirus testing sites will remain open on Thursday except for the Mobile Testing Unit event at Beloved St. John Evangelistic Church at 4541 N. Broad St., which is being canceled due to weather. The Health Department recommends calling ahead to non-city run sites to check if the sites are open or to learn if they are operating with different hours.

Health Department-run coronavirus vaccine clinics will be closed on Thursday. Those who have registered for appointments with the Health Department are being contacted to reschedule their appointments. For all the non-city sites, including hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, residents should call ahead to check their status.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority will be offering a flat 24-hour $5 parking rate at the following Center City garages from until the snow emergency is lifted.

• AutoPark at Independence Mall (5th & Market Streets)
• AutoPark at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow Streets)
• AutoPark at the Fashion District (10th & Filbert Streets)
• AutoPark at Old City (2nd & Sansom Streets)
• Parkade on 8th (801 Filbert Street)
• Philadelphia Family Court Garage (1503-11 Arch Street - Going south on 15th Street, enter the garage on the west side just after 15th & Cherry St.)

To receive the discounted $5 rate, customers must bring their ticket and pay at the PPA Management Office in each garage. During the snow emergency, the PPA will enforce all snow emergency and safety violations. Meters, kiosks and time limit violations on residential blocks will not be enforced until the snow emergency is lifted.

The Philadelphia Water Department’s customer contact center — 215-685-6300 — will be open. Residents are encouraged to shovel snow from the fronts of fire hydrants and storm drains on their block to allow snow melt to drain to the city sewer system.

The Office of Homeless Services issued a Code Blue at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and it will remain in effect until further notice. Throughout the Code Blue, Philadelphia’s homeless outreach teams will patrol the streets in greater numbers, urging individuals experiencing homelessness to come indoors and avoid prolonged exposure to the elements amid dangerously cold temperatures. People do not need ID to enter shelters, and they can remain indoors throughout the duration of the Code Blue. Anyone concerned about someone who is homeless, please call Homeless Outreach at 215-232-1984 at any time. Outreach is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. First responders can also transport people to shelter for their own safety. Review the Safer Shelter Initiative to learn how City-funded, privately operated shelters keep residents and staff safe.

Residents should contact the ACCT Philly hotline at 267-385-3800, extension 1, if they see a dog outside during extreme cold, aside from bathroom breaks and short walks. It is against City ordinance to leave dogs outside in extreme cold without proper shelter, and owners can be fined up to $500.

The Department of Parks & Recreation reminds residents that if a tree falls during a storm and it’s blocking a road, or it has fallen on a house, car or other property, call 911. A crew of arborists from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation are on-call to respond to tree emergencies and they will come out to remove the hazard and any part of the tree that is an immediate risk to public safety. Other parts of the tree that don’t pose an immediate risk (such as tree trunks and stumps) will be removed at a later time so crews can focus on other safety hazards around the city during extreme weather events. In the event that a tree has fallen on electrical wires, please call PECO’s emergency line: 1-800-841-4141. For other non-emergency downed trees, residents can submit a request through Philly 311.