Snow Emergency Effective at 7 p.m.

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that the City has declared a Snow Emergency effective at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. All vehicles parked on Snow Emergency Routes must be moved to alternate parking locations. Vehicles remaining on Snow Emergency Routes during the declared Snow Emergency will be ticketed and towed. A list of the Snow Emergency Routes can be found at http://www.phila.gov/streets/Snow_Emergency.html.   

Trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. Residents with Thursday pick up should put out their trash and recycling on Friday. Residents with rear driveway pickup should place their collections curbside. 

In anticipation of the snow emergency, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has announced a two-day parking discount beginning after Wednesday, January 26 at 4:00 p.m. and ending on Friday, January 28 at 7:00 a.m. Individuals can park at PPA owned and operated center city garages and will be charged a $5.00 flat rate per day. Parking garages are located at:

• Auto-Park at JFK (16th & JFK) 
• Auto-Park at Independence Mall (5th & Market) 
• Auto-Park at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow) 
• Auto-Park at Gallery Mall (10th & Filbert) 
• Auto-Park at 8th & Filbert 
• Auto-Park at Old City at 2nd and Sansom

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, NJ. expects snow accumulation of six to 12 inches in Philadelphia. The most intense period of snow should be between 6 p.m. and midnight on Wednesday. For an update on the forecast, visit http://weather.gov/er/phi/. 
 
Prepare for the winter weather with these tips:

• Apply any commercial de-icer on steps and sidewalks early to prevent residual moisture from freezing over and creating icy conditions. 
• Clear a sidewalk path of at least 36” wide within 6 hours of the end of the storm. For owners of properties located on the corner, the path must include curb cuts and not simply a path around the corner of the property.
• Do not throw snow into the streets.  This is illegal and significantly hampers plowing operations.
• Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain. 
• Help the fire department by uncovering fire hydrants. 
• Be conscious of the environment – use de-icing salts only as much as needed. One pound of de-icer can cover 100 to 200 square feet.  
• Salt should be applied as soon as a light accumulation has developed on the surface. This will break the bond between additional accumulations and the pavement surface, and will make it easier to shovel. 
• A final light application of a de-icer may be required after removal is completed to melt the residual snow.
• Make sure you park your car as far away from the corner as possible. Cars parked too close to the corner limit the turning radius of salting vehicles.  
• Stay tuned to local media for further updates. 
• Check on sick and elderly neighbors. 
• Bring your pets indoors.

Find additional Winter Preparedness Tips on our Winter Weather page.