Philly and N.J. declare snow emergencies as nor’easter bears down, promising most significant snowfall in 5 years

Philadelphia could see its most significant snowfall in five years with up to a foot of accumulation from a nor’easter that began bearing down on the region Sunday afternoon.

Two to four inches of snow and sleet could accumulate in the city and suburbs overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. And by Monday night, the region could see up to 12 inches of snow.

» UPDATES: The latest forecasts and information on today’s winter storm

As officials braced for disruptions, both the mayor’s office in Philadelphia and the governor’s office in New Jersey declared storm-related emergencies Sunday, while cancellations mounted for select schools, flights, trains, and transit lines heading into the workweek.

In New Jersey, the coming storm prompted Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency that took effect at 7 p.m. Sunday across all 21 counties. State offices will be closed Monday, except for weather-essential employees. The governor’s office said private businesses should dismiss employees “at their own discretion.”

All NJ Transit bus and rail service will be suspended Monday, except for the Atlantic City Rail Line, which will operate on a regular weekday schedule, unless weather conditions change. The Murphy administration said all six “mega-sites” for coronavirus vaccinations will be shuttered Monday, as well.

“Heavy snow, coastal flooding, and high winds are expected in many parts of the state,” Murphy said in a statement. “The safety of residents and workers is our utmost priority. Please follow all weather-related guidance and stay off the roads in order to allow access for emergency personnel.”

SEPTA said it “will do everything possible” to keep the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines open during the inclement weather, and that if customers must travel during the storm, those lines are the “best bet.” Owl buses will continue to operate on those lines overnight Sunday, SEPTA said. The City Trolley Tunnel, which has been closed at night for maintenance and cleaning, will instead remain open overnight Sunday into Monday.

As of Sunday night, the agency said there were no planned schedules changes to the Norristown high speed line or to regional rail, which has already been operating on a limited basis during the pandemic. “Bus detours and cancellations are expected as road conditions deteriorate,” the transit agency cautioned.

In line with Philadelphia’s declared “snow emergency,” city government offices will be closed to the public Monday — but the Health Department will still operate its city-run COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Monday for appointments that were previously scheduled.

“Individuals who have registered for appointments with the Health Department will also have the option to reschedule their appointments,” the mayor’s office said. “For all of the non-City sites, including hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, residents should call ahead to check their status.”

With large swaths of the local workforce still working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic and many students still attending classes remotely, does it even count as a snow day anymore?

Not for many students in the region including those in the Philadelphia School District, which announced it would forge ahead with at least a half day of virtual schooling Monday followed by an afternoon of “independent assignments.” Though, in a nod to snow days past, the district acknowledged in a statement that hopefully its plans for a less structured day would “provide our staff, students and families with the opportunity to find a little time in the afternoon to enjoy some fun, outside activities.”

Meanwhile, crowds packed grocery and hardware store parking lots from the far-flung suburbs to Center City and South Jersey starting almost as soon as doors opened. Debbie Dumas, 56, joined the throngs of those packing the aisles at the Overbrook Target in search of milk, eggs, bread and their “snowed-in” beverages of choice.

“They say storm and it sets an alarm off for folks,” she said. “They run into this market and all markets and clear the shelves.”

Such was the case at Stanley’s True Value Hardware, where by Saturday afternoon employees said, their stocks of shovels, salt and other winter supplies had been picked clean.

Officials, too, were preparing for the worst.

As the first flakes began to fall Sunday, Philadelphia joined other communities across the region in announcing a “snow emergency,” triggering a variety of government responses and requiring parked cars to be moved off of major thoroughfares to make way for plowing. In Philadelphia that also meant trash collection for Monday was canceled and homeless outreach officers fanned out looking for people to coax into shelters.

“Our goal is to make roads passable and return the city back to normal operations as quickly as possible,” city Managing Director Tumar Alexander said.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) is making parking available at six Center City garages for a 24-hour rate of $5. Those garages include: AutoPark at Independence Mall (5th & Market Streets), AutoPark at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow Streets), AutoPark at the Fashion District (10th & Filbert Streets), AutoPark at Old City (2nd & Sansom Streets), Parkade on 8th (801 Filbert St.), and Philadelphia Family Court Garage (1503-11 Arch St.).

The $5 rate lasts from 6 p.m. Sunday until the snow emergency is lifted. In order to redeem it, “customers must bring their ticket and pay at the PPA Management Office in each garage,” the city said.

At Philadelphia International Airport, dozens of flights were delayed and 49 were cancelled Sunday, according to the tracking website FlightAware. Another 72 cancellations were planned for Monday. Airport officials said travelers should check for updates with their air carrier.

“Full snow removal and aircraft deicing operations are in effect,” PHL spokesperson Florence Brown said. “Travelers and those picking up travelers are encouraged to check their flight status and road conditions before leaving for the airport.”

A smattering of Amtrak trains in the Northeast faced delays or cancellations Sunday. Amtrak also issued an alert for Monday schedule changes, including cancellations of all Acela service between Boston and Washington, and all service on the Pennsylvanian between Pittsburgh and New York.

There is still some question of how hard a wallop to expect. But meteorologists increasingly agreed as the day wore on Sunday that the snowfall would keep coming for days, the winds would gust mightily and, before it was all over, the accumulation would be significant.

The National Weather Service declared a winter storm warning for the entire region from 1 p.m. Sunday through 10 a.m. Tuesday, predicting totals of about eight to 12 inches in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties by Monday night.

The first flakes started falling in Center City around noon Sunday and conditions were only expected to further deteriorate as the night went on.

Just how much could pile up depends mostly on what happens Monday, meteorologists said.

During the heaviest bands on Monday, snow could fall faster than one inch per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Heading into Tuesday, snow is likely to keep coming, but with only limited accumulation, the weather service said.

Whatever may come, said PennDot spokesperson Brad Rudolph, state road crews are ready to meet it with one of its most significant response teams assembled in years.

Standing outside a Norristown warehouse, Rudolph watched Sunday morning as bulldozers loaded up awaiting trunks with tens of thousands of pounds of salt destined for roadways across the five-county Philadelphia region. The department has been working since Friday to pretreat roads and has called in more than 450 trucks to handle the main event, he said.

“This is a big one,” he said. “We’re going to need all hands on deck.”

Pandemic closures and the resulting reduction in traffic could make clearing the roads somewhat easier.

“Lower volume on the roadways makes it easier for us to run our routes, but people still have to travel and all it takes is one disabled vehicle to clog up a roadway,” Rudolph said.

By Sunday afternoon, the school system of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which has resumed in-person classes, announced an all-day closure Monday for its high school and elementary campuses within city limits. Those in the suburbs would follow the decisions made by their closest public school systems, church officials said.

In Cheltenham, where the district had been preparing for a return Monday morning to some in-person schooling for the first time in months, the superintendent said school will be canceled Monday, and making use of a snow day.

“Due to the possibility of power and internet outages, instead of pivoting to all-remote instruction, the district will utilize one of the traditional snow days built into the 2020-2021 academic calendar,” school superintendent Wagner Marseille said in an email to families. “Activities are canceled and all buildings and offices will be closed.”

» READ MORE: Is a snow day coming? It depends on the school district.

The storm did look likely to disrupt pandemic planning as officials in Camden, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties shut down government-run coronavirus testing and vaccination sites Monday and promised appointments would be rescheduled.

Though private pharmacies, clinics and hospitals may continue with vaccinations, Camden County said they were moving all county appointments scheduled over Monday and Tuesday to Wednesday instead and were prepared to deal with the increased volume all in one day.

Montgomery County planned to reschedule its vaccination clinic to Friday at Norristown High School. However, county spokesperson Kelly Cofrancisco cautioned: “We’re not yet sure if our vaccine shipment will be impacted.”

Like the rest of the region, as snow picked up and the first PennDot salt trucks left the warehouse Sunday afternoon, all they could do now was wait for whatever the storm had in store.

“It’s going to be a long storm,” said Rudolph, the PennDot spokesperson. “A challenging storm.”