100s Of Crashes, PA Turnpike Speed Limit Reduced As Storm Arrives

Police across the Philadelphia region are reporting poor road conditions with the arrival of the season's first winter storm Thursday afternoon. Hundreds of accidents have already been reported and conditions are deteriorating ahead of the evening commute, authorities say.

The snow will mix with sleet and freezing rain by late afternoon, which could make for a very messy and perilous evening commute. A Winter Weather Advisory is in place through 9 p.m.

Accumulation predictions have increased since Wednesday. Forecasters are predicting anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of snow mixed with sleet in the Philadelphia region.

Visibility is poor and several incidents have already been reported on the PA Turnpike, where the speed limit has been reduced in some areas, according to PennDOT.

The speed limit on the PA Turnpike has been temporarily reduced to 45 mph from the Donegal Interchange (exit 91) to the Delaware River Bridge (milepost 359), as well as on the Northeastern Extension (I-476) to the Lehigh Valley Interchange (exit 57) in Lehigh County.

In one of the more bizarre scenes of the day, a camel walking along Rt. 309 held up traffic. Read more.

Police departments across the area are warning residents of the poor driving conditions.

Authorities in Montgomery County say there have been more than 120 crashes and 45 disabled vehicle since noon and the "numbers are rising every minute."

"Please stay off the roads," the warning from the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety said.

Police Bucks County are reporting similar conditions, saying they are also dealing with multiple accidents.

In Doylestown Township, where authorities said there have been multiple accidents, police are warning drivers to use caution. In nearby Warwick, police say there have been several crashes.

Lower Southampton police posted an update to Facebook saying the roads are "HORRIBLE" and advised residents to stay home if possible.

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