Snow Emergency Declared In Horsham

HORSHAM, PA — A snow emergency has been declared in Horsham Township, officials announced Thursday afternoon. The declaration went into effect at about 12:30 p.m. as driving snow and heavy winds continued to pound the area.

Vehicles must be removed from roadways in order for snow plows to get through. Sidewalks should also be cleared within 24 hours of the conclusion of the storm.

The Horsham Township Library will close at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The Hatboro-Horsham School District closed all of its schools Thursday as well.

Here are a few points to keep in mind as you grab those shovels. According to the Horsham Township code:

• Every person in charge or control of any building or lot of land fronting or abutting on a paved sidewalk, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, or otherwise, shall remove and clear away, or cause to be removed or cleared away, snow and/or ice from a path of at least 30 inches in width from so much of said sidewalk as is in front of or abuts on said building or lot of land.
• Except as provided in Subsection B hereof, snow and ice shall be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours after the cessation of any fall of snow, sleet or freezing rain. B. In the event snow and/or ice on a sidewalk has become so hard that it cannot be removed without likelihood of damage to the sidewalk, the person charged with its removal shall cause enough sand or other abrasive to be put on the sidewalk to make travel reasonably safe; and shall, as soon thereafter as weather permits, cause to be cleared a path in said sidewalk of at least 30 inches in width.
• Summary proceedings for failure to comply with the provisions of § 133-4 of this article may be instituted by the Township before any District Justice, and any person, firm or corporation convicted of violating the provisions of § 133-4 of this article shall be punishable by a fine or penalty of not less than $1 and not more than $600 for such offense, recoverable as such fines or penalties are by law recoverable; provided, however, that each period of 24 hours during which the prohibited conditions shall be allowed to continue shall constitute a new and separate offense hereunder.
• Every person in charge or control of any building or other structure, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, or otherwise, shall remove and clear away, or cause to be removed and cleared away, any accumulation of snow and ice on said building or other structure which is liable to fall on any sidewalk, roadway, or other public way. Such work shall be completed within a reasonable time, but not later than 24 hours after the cessation of any fall of snow, sleet, or freezing rain.
• No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited any snow or ice on or immediately next to a fire hydrant or on any sidewalk, roadway, or loading and unloading areas of a public transportation system, except that snowand ice may be mounded by the Township on public cartways incident to the cleaning thereof or mounded on curbs incident to the clearing of sidewalks in business districts.
• Immediately after the accumulation of ice and snow, it shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any motor vehicle, or other vehicle, to park or allow to be parked such vehicle upon any street or highway within Horsham Township until the snow or ice has been completely plowed for the full width of the cartway of such public street or highway. Members of the Horsham Township Police Department are hereby authorized to remove or cause to be moved any vehicle parking upon any public highway or street in violation of the terms and provisions of this article, and to take said vehicle to a nearby garage or other place of safety, and the registered owner of said vehicle shall be promptly notified in writing of the fact of the removal and of the place to which said vehicle has been removed where he may obtain the same upon payment of any and all towing and storage charges.

Link to the full township code for snow and ice removal here.

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