Update January 19, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

Managing Director Adam Thiel announced that the Snow Emergency for the City of Philadelphia will be lifted at 7 p.m. today, January 19. This means that vehicles can once again park on Snow Emergency routes after 7 p.m. today. If your vehicle was relocated during the Snow Emergency, call 215-686-SNOW (7669), and press option 4, to find it. Do not call 911.

Salting and plowing

The Streets Department continues its snow operations. Crews are working to make all primary and secondary streets passable. They are competing with high winds and drifting snow blowing back into the streets. Crews will continue treating the roads throughout the day and will be focusing efforts on servicing residential streets throughout the night. They will remain on-duty overnight to monitor roadways and respond to problem locations and emergencies. The City asks for residents’ patience as crews continue to treat roads.

Reminders for residents

  • Do not shovel or plow snow into the street. This practice is illegal, unsafe and hinders snow operations.The penalty for violating this can range from $50 to $300 for each violation.
  • Keep fire hydrants clear. Shovel 36 -60 inches around your block’s hydrant so firefighters can gain access safely during an emergency response.
  • Clear a sidewalk path at least 36 inches wide within six hours of the end of the storm.
  • Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain.
  • Motorists should allow extra time, exercise patience and maintain safe driving distances.
  • If you see a chance to help your neighbor, either with shoveling or other tasks, please be kind and do so.

January 19, 2024

A snow emergency has been declared beginning January 19, at 7 a.m.

A Snow Emergency means all parked vehicles must be moved off snow emergency routes for plowing. When moving your car, park as far from the corner of the street as possible; vehicles parked too close to the corner get in the way of snowplows trying to turn corners.

Snow emergency routes, primary roads, and secondary roads will be serviced first to allow for safe passage. Residential streets will be treated after the primary and secondary roads are safe to travel. This does not mean roads will be completely clear of snow and ice but made passable for safe traveling.

We strongly encourage people to stay home and off the roads as much as possible. The frigid temperatures and cold ground will make it easy for snow to accumulate and cause slippery travel on untreated roadways.

Reminders for residents

  • Do not shovel or plow snow into the street. This practice is illegal, unsafe and hinders snow operations. The penalty for violating this can range from $50 to $300 for each violation.
  • Keep fire hydrants clear. Shovel 36 -60 inches around your block’s hydrant so firefighters can gain access safely during an emergency response.
  • Clear a sidewalk path at least 36 inches wide within six hours of the end of the storm.
  • Clear snow from neighborhood sewer drains to allow melting snow to drain.
  • Motorists should allow extra time, exercise patience and maintain safe driving distances.
  • Please remember to dress properly and check in on your neighbors especially those at risk.

Snow Emergency routes and vehicles

If your car was moved from a snow emergency route, call 215-686-SNOW (7669), and press option 4, to find it. Do NOT call 911.

PlowPHL

Residents can use PlowPHL, an interactive map, to track and monitor the status of the City’s plowing and salting operations. PlowPHL is the fourth and final web mapping tool on the StreetSmartPHL platform.

Sanitation and Recycling Collections

Due to the amount of snow accumulations expected, Sanitation crews and equipment will be diverted to snow operations. The city is currently on a holiday schedule due to the Martin Luther King Jr holiday which means collections are currently one day behind regular schedule. Friday’s collections which were scheduled to be picked up Saturday are suspended. Residents who normally have Friday’s collections will have to hold their materials until next Friday as crews will not be able to pick up materials while they are working on snow operations.

As an alternative, residents may drop off their materials at the City’s Sanitation Convenience Centers which are open for regular hours, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Residents can track the progress of collections on StreetSmartPHL by clicking on PickupPHL tab.

City Buildings and city workers

City of Philadelphia offices will be closed to the public on Friday, January 19, 2024. Departments should notify any essential personnel required to report to work on site tomorrow. Employees who are able to work virtually should continue to do so. 

School District of Philadelphia

All District schools and Central Offices will be closed on Friday, January 19.  All after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Friday are canceled as well. All District early childhood centers will also be closed. 

Archdiocese of Philadelphia 

Archdiocesan high schools and parochial elementary schools in the City of Philadelphia will utilize a flexible instruction day Friday, January 19. 

Call Centers

The Philly 311 Call Center remains open during normal business hours today (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.) to take calls for non-emergencies. Over the weekend, residents can submit a service request or report an issue online or through the Philly311 mobile app, available on App Store and Google Play. Requests for salting and plowing will not be taken during the storm. Once the storm has moved on, the City will announce when such requests will be taken.

Homeless Outreach

The Office of Homeless Services issued a Code Blue that went into effect on, Sunday, January 14, 2024, at 3 p.m. It remains in effect until further notice. During this extended Code Blue, Philadelphia’s homeless outreach teams will continue to patrol the streets with greater urgency, encouraging people experiencing homelessness to come indoors and avoid prolonged exposure to the elements amid dangerously cold temperatures. On Wednesday, January 17, a warming center was brought online. People do not need ID to enter shelters and may remain indoors throughout the duration of the Code Blue. If anyone is concerned about someone who is homeless, they should call the Homeless Outreach Hotline at (215) 232–1984 at any time. Outreach is available 24/7. First responders can also transport people to shelter for their own safety. See how the City of Philadelphia helps people who are unsheltered during freezing temperatures and how other residents can help too.   

Food Sites

Visit phila.gov/food to view specific site schedules.

Health Department

All City Health Centers, Resource Hubs, and COVID testing sites will be closed on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

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 Philadelphia Parks & Recreation are 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 extreme weather events. In the event that a tree has fallen on electrical wires, please call PECO’s emergency line: 1-800-841-4141. For other non-emergency downed trees, residents can submit a request through Philly 311.

SEPTA

SEPTA will post real-time travel updates at septa.org and @SEPTA on Twitter.

Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA)

PPA will be offering a flat twenty-four-hour $5 parking rate at the following Center City garages from 5 p.m. Thursday, January 18, until the snow emergency is lifted.

To receive the discounted $5 rate, customers must bring their ticket and pay at the PPA Management Office in each garage.

During the snow emergency, the PPA will enforce all snow emergency and safety violations. Starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 18, meters, and time limit violations on residential blocks will not be enforced until the snow emergency is lifted.

Additionally, beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 18, vehicles illegally parked on snow emergency routes will be subject to ticketing and towing. If your vehicle is towed during the snow emergency, please call the city’s snow emergency line at 215-686-SNOW or visit the PPA’s website for its location.

PHL International Airport

Travelers and those picking up travelers are encouraged to check their flight status and road conditions before leaving for the airport on Sunday. Call your airline, get updates at 1-800-PHL-GATE (745-4283), or check the PHL International Airport website—phl.org. The airport has snow removal and deicing operations planned for the duration of the event.

Pet Safety Awareness

Residents should contact the ACCT Philly hotline (267-385-3800 ext. 1) if they see a dog outside during extreme cold (aside from bathroom breaks and short walks). It is against City ordinance to leave dogs outside in extreme cold without proper shelter, and owners can be fined up to $500.

Information for Businesses

All property owners and/or tenants are responsible for clearing a 36-inch path on all sidewalks, including curb cuts, abutting the building or premises within six hours after the snow has stopped falling—even if the establishment is temporarily closed due to snow or COVID-19 restrictions. A fine of $50 or more can be imposed in violation of this code. Businesses are encouraged to review these emergency preparedness tips to protect their employees, and customers.

Establishments with outdoor dining will need to take additional precautions in advance of the storm. All outdoor dining setups should be secured, removing as much of the setups as possible—including tables, chairs, heating equipment, and temporary structures. The City is not liable for any damage from plowing or snow removal, even if structures are permitted. Materials should be cleared from the right-of-way as much as possible to avoid possible damage and blocking of dining setups. Restaurants with unpermitted structures are reminded that their establishment is liable for any injuries suffered due to damage from the structure during and after the storm.

Free Library of Philadelphia

All branches of the Free Library will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 19, 2024.

Philadelphia Courts

The Courts of Philadelphia will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 19, 2024. All cases — both in person and virtual — that were scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, January 19, 2024, will be rescheduled. The public can contact the Court at our website Courts.phila.gov for new dates starting Monday. If you have been summoned for jury duty, you are excused and do not need to report tomorrow, Friday, January 19, 2024.  

The Philadelphia Water Department

The Philadelphia Water Department’s 24-hour emergency hotline will remain open for emergency calls. Water main breaks and other water emergencies should be immediately reported by calling (215) 685-6300. PWD’s customer contact center will also remain open for billing and other issues 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Call (215) 685-6300.

With temperatures in the teens forecasted, there is an increased chance of frozen or burst pipes. PWD is not responsible for customer pipes, even if they are outside of your home. Information on customer-maintained plumbing is available here. Residents should keep sidewalks and the area around valve covers and other utility access points clear of snow and ice should they need to be accessed by plumbers.

When shoveling, do not pile snow on top of storm drain inlets. Blocked storm drains can create flooding. Make sure all fire hydrants are clear of snow, visible, and easily accessible. More information, including tips for preventing frozen pipes and safe use of salt and deicers, is available on the @PhillyH2O Blog.

Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW)

The 24-hour Emergency Hotline will remain open for emergency calls. At any time, all gas leaks or gas-related emergencies should be immediately reported by calling (215) 235-1212.

PECO

While PECO works to prevent as many outages as possible, severe storms can cause damage and power outages. Customers can act now to prepare for severe weather by visiting peco.com/storm.  In addition, customers can visit peco.com/alerts before winter weather grips the region and sign up to receive updates on their energy usage and information regarding power outages via text, email, or phone, including when power is out, when service is expected to be restored, or when power is restored. Customers can also report power outages to peco.com/outages, or by texting “ADDOUTAGE” to MYPECO (697326), to enroll in our two-way texting program to report outages and check the status of their outage. 
 

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