Another Blast of Snow Hits Delaware Valley
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Despite Punxsutawney Phil's prognostication of less than three weeks ago (see related story), winter is still very much with us.
Four to six inches hit the Philadelphia area and its immediate suburbs overnight, with more in South Jersey and Delaware but a little less in the northern suburbs.
Road crews were out in force across the Delaware Valley -- first brining, then plowing where necessary. Most major arteries were merely wet by the heart of the morning rush hour, but that didn't prevent every spinout accident. Many secondary roads remained covered with several inches of snow. Drivers were urged to use extra caution.
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Philadelphia public and archdiocesan schools were closed on Tuesday. The public schools' administrative offices were opening two hours late.
Weather forecasters said there will be little warmup until later in the week; temperatures in Philadelphia were expected to just touch the melting point (32 degrees F.) on Tuesday.
SEPTA reported a few delays on Regional Rail lines: the Doylestown and Paoli-Thorndale lines (the old R5) had delays of 10 to 15 minutes in both directions. Norristown and Newark, Del. trains had 20-minute delays.
A handful of Septa bus routes were being detoured due to road conditions. As of 5 AM, they included routes 18, 27, 46, 55, 58, 103, 108, 113, 115, 117, HXH, and L. Route 120 service (69th Street Terminal to Cheney University) was suspended for a time but later resumed.
The Market-Frankford subway-elevated line was operating with one train about every 15 minutes, due to equipment problems.
The Philadelphia Streets Department says trash is being picked up today by sanitation crews despite the snow. So weekly collection is pushed back just one day-- due to the Presidents' Day holiday.
Easttown Township (Chester County), Pa. has declared a snow emergency, so if you live there or are headed there today, keep your car off snow emergency routes.
Amtrak was reporting some minor delays on northbound trains.
Airlines were projecting mostly on-time arrivals and departures. There have been a handful of cancellations -- notably flights to and from Pittsburgh and Boston. Air travelers are urged to contact their airline directly or the Philadelphia International Airport web site, PHL.org.
The State of Delaware and City of Wilmington offices were opening one hour late on Tuesday, and Wilmington recycling collection is cancelled east of I-95 because crews have been out since midnight plowing.
Stay tuned to KYW Newsradio 1060 and CBS 3 Eyewitness News for weather and news updates throughout the day.
