Nor'easter Blankets Chester County: Latest Updates

This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. See the latest town-by-town snowfall totals here.

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CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Snowfall began around noon on Wednesday in Chester County and continued through the night as the National Weather Service reported just over 6 inches fell overnight in Greater Philadelphia.

The Winter Storm Warning for eastern Chester County was set to last until 10 a.m. Thursday.

Thursday morning temperatures hovered around the freezing point as the sun peeked out. Winds up to 45 miles per hour were predicted with the storm, but today the National Weather Service reported winds of 5 to 15 miles per hour, gusting to 25 miles per hour.

Though the temperature was 31 degrees Thursday morning, the wind chill was 21 degrees, the NWS reported.

Power outages are few in Chesco this morning. A power outage was reported in Westtown due to fallen trees, affecting 64 residents. PECO estimated those customers would have power restored by 11 a.m. Another reported outage in Exton affected five residents and also was attributed to fallen trees.

Power outages can be reported online at PECO's website, where there is also a viewable map of outages reported with information about the cause and expected times for restoring power.

SEPTA announced cancellations this morning: Train #1503, scheduled to leave Jefferson Station at 8:22 a.m., and train #5316 scheduled to leave Malvern at 10:26 a.m. were canceled.
SEPTA reported a change in the boarding location for Thorndale's Train #1507. It said early Thursday the train would begin and board off the #2 track at the Suburban Station.

Find SEPTA's schedule and announcements here.

Municipalities across Chester County declared Snow Emergencies, calling for residents to remove vehicles from Snow Emergency Routes so plows could clear roads. Many municipalities allow residents to park vehicles in public lots and garages during snow emergencies. The emergency declarations end at varied times this morning.

As plows are clearing roads today, transportation officials ask residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

"Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions will impact the evening commute tonight and the morning commute on Thursday," the National Weather Service said yesterday.

With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning," PennDOT said.

Falling temperatures and blowing and drifting snow can cause icy areas on roadways, including overpasses and bridges, PennDOT warned motorists.

If motorists do encounter blowing or drifting snow while traveling, PennDOT offered this advice:

• Slow down gradually and drive at a speed that suits conditions.
• Turn on your headlights.
• Stay in your lane and increase your following distance.
• Stay alert, keep looking as far ahead as possible and be patient.
• Do not drive distracted; your full attention is required.
• Use your defroster and wipers.
• Keep windows and mirrors free of snow and ice.
• During whiteouts, come to a complete stop only when you can safely pull off the roadway.
• Do not stop in the flow of traffic since this could cause a chain-reaction collision.
• Do not pass a vehicle moving slowly or speed up to get away from a vehicle that is following too closely.
• Always buckle up and never drive impaired.

The department also asks motorists to allow plenty of space when driving near plow trucks. Also, for their own safety and the safety of plow operators, motorists should never attempt to pass a truck while it is plowing or spreading winter materials.

While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check road conditions at www.511PA.com.

For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.PennDOT.gov/winter.