The roller-coaster weather that winter brings to the Philadelphia region includes snow, freezing rain, and sleet. When wintry weather coincides with extreme cold temperatures, hazards like black ice on the sidewalks and roadways appear.

This volatile weather is a dangerous and deadly mix. According to the United States Department of Transportation, winter weather is to blame for the majority of crashes that kill 6,253 people and injure more than 480,000 Americans a year from wet, snowy or icy roadways.

Prepare yourself and your vehicle before the storm to help keep yourself and your family safe.

Follow the Forecast

  • Winter weather patterns can change rapidly.
    • By signing up for free ReadyPhiladelphia alerts, you will get information direct from the National Weather Service on Winter Storm Advisories, Watches or Warnings.
    • Details of the approaching storm, including the forecast and hazards associated with the storm, are delivered to your electronic device as a text or an email to your inbox. The National Weather Service Mount Holly will also update their webpage which includes probabilities of snowfall and weather hazards.
    • Mass transit traveler? ReadyPhiladelphia gives you SEPTA service delays and interruptions for your route that may be affected due to slippery conditions.

Streets of Philadelphia

  • The Philadelphia Streets Department has a Snow Response Plan for the 2,575 miles of streets within city boundaries, with Public Safety being their main concern.
  • Snow Emergency Defined
    • When snow accumulations approach emergency status, the Managing Director may declare a Snow Emergency. If a Snow Emergency is declared, the City will plow the 110 miles of Snow Emergency Routes from curb-to-curb. This means owners of vehicles and dumpsters must move them to alternate parking spaces. Any vehicle remaining on a Snow Emergency Route during the declared Snow Emergency will be ticketed and towed. If your car is towed, call 215-686-SNOW for its location. Do NOT call 911.
  • City streets Categorized
    • In order to provide effective service during winter storms, streets are divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary route systems. The primary route system encompasses 665 miles, including 110 miles of Snow Emergency Routes. The secondary route system includes another 700 miles of streets (both systems exclude the roadway maintained by the Parks and Recreation). The balance of City streets falls into the tertiary street system, covering approximately 1,125 miles of streets, 25 miles of which are private streets.
  • Please Don’t Shovel Snow Back into the Street
    • Within six hours of the end of a snowfall or freezing rain, you must clear a path at least 36 inches wide on your sidewalk including curb cuts. Do not shovel or sweep the snow into the street. The penalty for violating this regulation can range from $50 up to $300 for each violation. To report a sidewalk that has not been cleared, call 311.
  • Help Your Local Heroes
    • When shoveling, show some Pride in your Fire Hydrant. Clear a path from the street to your fire hydrant and also shovel three feet on each side so it is visible and accessible to the Philadelphia Fire Department. In case of emergency, it will only help you or your neighbors.
  • Brine, Salt, and Plow
    • The City may apply brine prior to, and salt or plow during and after a snow event.
    • Wonder why the Street’s Department doesn’t put salt down prior to the snow’s arrival? Putting salt on road before a snowfall wastes time and money, since the salt blows right off the road. Salt is most effective after the snow has accumulated about an inch and the temperature is 20° F/-6 C or higher. Under these conditions, salt and snow mix into a slush that can easily be cleared.

Snow Plow Safety

  • When winter weather does occur, PennDOT asks drivers to be extra cautious around operating snow-removal equipment. When encountering a plow truck, drivers should:
    • Stay at least six car lengths behind an operating plow truck and remember that the main plow is wider than the truck.
    • Be alert since plow trucks generally travel much more slowly than other traffic.
    • When a plow truck is traveling toward you, move as far away from the center of the road as is safely possible, and remember that snow can obscure the actual snow plow width.
    • Never try to pass or get between several trucks plowing side by side in a “plow train.” The weight of the snow thrown from the plow can quickly cause smaller vehicles to lose control, creating a hazard for nearby vehicles.
    • Never travel next to a plow truck since there are blind spots where the operator can’t see and they can occasionally be moved sideways when hitting drifts or heavy snow-pack.
    • Keep your lights on to help the operator better see your vehicle. Also remember that under Pennsylvania state law, vehicle lights must be on every time a vehicle’s wipers are on due to inclement weather.

Know Before You Go

  • Pennsylvania’s transportation agency, PennDOT, has resources to help you evaluate the path to your destination.
    • Motorists are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting 511PA.
    • 511PA provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional or statewide Twitter accounts.

Clear Your Car

  • Drivers should be aware that all vehicles should be fully clear of ice and snow before winter travel. If snow or ice is dislodged or falls from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or pedestrian causing death or serious bodily injury, the operator of that vehicle could receive a $200 to $1,000 fine.

Navigating the Roads

  • As mentioned in the top of the blog, driving in severe weather conditions is frightful and dangerous. The American Automobile Association, a.k.a. AAA, lists recommendations to help you arrive safe.

Winterize Your Vehicle

  • Take your car for a checkup. A properly trained, trustworthy mechanic can check the cooling system, battery, hoses, drive belts, tires and wiper blades to ensure they are in good condition and functioning properly.
  • Prepare or restock a vehicle emergency kit. The kit should contain items such as non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel. Motorists should tailor their kits to any specific needs that they or their families have such as baby supplies, extra medication and pet supplies.

Get weather information direct from the National Weather Service, delay or service interruption updates for your SEPTA routes, and emergency details from the City of Philadelphia with free ReadyPhiladelphia Alerts. Follow Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.