PHILADELPHIA– Managing Director DiBerardinis will lift the City’s Snow Emergency at 6:00AM on Thursday March 22 in time for the morning commute. The Philadelphia Streets Department is in full deployment with 400 trucks plowing and salting 300 routes. While the city’s primary roads are generally passable, plows are still being used to widen them. Secondary, tertiary and residential streets are the focus of current plowing.
For citizens, the end of a Snow Emergency means that cars can once again park on Snow Emergency routes. Cars left on Snow Emergency routes between 9:00AM March 21 through 6:00AM March 22 were likely relocated. If your car was moved, call 215-686-SNOW to find it. Do not call 911. As citizens return their cars to their normal parking spaces, they are asked not to park too close to corners, as snow plowing and salting equipment require extra room to turn safely. Parking too close to a corner or too far from the curb will hinder efficient snow removal from streets.
City Government Updates
All City of Philadelphia municipal government offices will open during normal business hours on Thursday, March 22. Supervisors are urged to give workers flexibility in their arrival time. The Courts of the First Judicial District will also be opened on a two-hour delay. Jurors should report for Jury Service at 10:15 AM.
The Philly 311 Call Center will reopen at 8:00 AM. For all non-emergency tree calls and for updates regarding snowplowing and salting operations, citizens should call 311, not 911. Non-emergency calls to 911 hamper the dispatchers’ ability to focus on immediate life-threatening emergencies.
Closures and Cancellations
Wednesday’s trash collections were suspended. UPDATE: Trash & recycling collections will resume Thursday. If your trash is normally collected Wednesday, it will be collected on Thursday. Thursday’s will be collected Friday, Friday’s on Saturday.
School District of Philadelphia schools and Philadelphia Archdiocese Schools will open tomorrow, Thursday, March 22 on a two-hour delay.
Philadelphia International Airport plans to resume normal operations Thursday, March 22. However, there are numerous delays and cancelations, so travelers should check with their airline, or go to PHL.org, or call 1-800-PHL-GATE.
SEPTA
SEPTA plans to resume normal weekday service on all modes starting Thursday, March 22. Expect some delays, bus route detours, suspensions and rail trip cancellations. Customers are urged to check for updates before starting their commutes. The latest service details can be found at www.septa.org.
Shoveling Snow
Property owners are required to clear a three (3) foot path in front of their property, including curb cuts, within six (6) hours of the end of the storm. Residents should not shovel or toss snow onto city streets. It is against the law to do this.
Fire Hydrants and Storm Drains
City officials ask residents to clear snow and ice from fire hydrants so that firefighters can hook up hoses quickly in the event of a fire. In addition, please clear snow and ice away from storm drains on your block to allow melting snow to flow directly down the drains. This will help to prevent icy road conditions. With the weather outlook of temperatures in the 40’s in the days following the storm, clearing snow and ice away from the drains is even more important as conditions will be higher for flooding when large amounts of snow melt quickly.