With a few winter weather events already behind us and a few more likely in our future this season, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) is reminding residents about winter weather protocols specific to our park and recreation system.

Closings and Early Dismissals

When the City of Philadelphia announces that all City offices will close due to weather, all PPR facilities also close to ensure the safety of staff and users. These facilities include recreation, environmental, and older adult centers.

When the School District of Philadelphia announces school closures and early dismissals due to weather, PPR monitors the situation closely to determine if changes in programming schedules are needed. These changes can be made by individual facilities, and parents or caregivers are urged to communicate directly with program staff about alternative times or cancellations. Each playground and recreation center has a Snow/Inclement Weather Policy, so it’s best to ask your local recreation leader what the policy is before inclement weather occurs.

Trees

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 PPR is 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 the extreme weather event.

In the event that a tree has fallen on electrical wires, please call PECO’s emergency line: 1-800-841-4141. For non-emergency tree requests, please submit a request through Philly 311.

Waterways

Regulation prohibits people from entering all natural waterways throughout the City of Philadelphia, and typically this includes swimming or bathing.

Due to extended sub-zero temperatures in early 2018, many natural waterways have– or appear to have– frozen over, leading some to believe it is safe to walk or even skate on the surface. It is extremely dangerous to do this, and it is prohibited by PPR regulation. Our five indoor ice rinks offer free and safe public skating opportunities.

Plowing and Shoveling

During a forecasted weather event that will result in accumulation on paved surfaces, PPR activates staff for snow clearing operations at facilities and on roads throughout the city to support the work of the Streets Department.

PPR is responsible for clearing the following of snow and ice:

  • 35 miles of park roadways including Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (West River Drive), Kelly Drive, Montgomery Drive, and Lincoln Drive; roads throughout East and West Park and in the Wissahickon watershed; Belmont Avenue; the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; and park bridges like the MLK Drive Bridge and the Strawberry Mansion Bridge.
  • Sidewalks and parking lots (where applicable) at older adult centers, recreation centers, ice rinks, and environmental centers.
  • Non-staffed park sidewalks, trails, and other facilities.

Due to reduced resources and limited staffing, each storm is assessed, and these responsibilities are prioritized to meet the needs of residents based on the impact of the individual weather event. Each storm is different, and therefore each clearing operation is different.

If you notice a right of way that needs attention, you can help by making a service request through Philly 311.