Philly Enacting Snow Emergency Friday Night

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia will be under a snow emergency starting at 7 p.m. Friday.

During a snow emergency, 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.

Vehicles left on Snow Emergency routes will be moved to other parking spots to assist in snow plowing operations. If your car is moved, call 215-686-7669, and press option four, to find it. Owners whose vehicles are moved should not call 911 to find them.

See a full list of snow emergency routes online here.

The Streets Department is mobilizing more than 400 pieces of equipment, including support from city agencies and contractors.

Crews have been brining since Thursday in preparation for this snow event. The Streets Department has 45,000 tons of salt available.

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.

Motorists are asked to allow extra time and maintain safe driving distances to allow for sudden stopping. The frigid temperatures and cold ground will make it easy for snow to accumulate and cause slippery travel on untreated roadways.

Residents are reminded it is illegal and unsafe to shovel or plow snow into the road. Doing so can result in fines up to $300 for each violation.

When shoveling, residents should clear at least a 3-foot path within six hours of the storm's end. Snow should be kept clear from fire hydrants and storm drains.

The Streets Department will be completing Friday’s trash and recycling collections.

The PlowPHL app features an interactive map that allows residents 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.

All city-run coronavirus testing sites — including Health Centers, mobile testing vans, and resource hubs — scheduled for Saturday are canceled.

The Health Department’s vaccine clinic at Salvation Army, 5501 Market St., will be closing at 4 p.m. Friday. Additionally, the vaccine clinic at Global Leadership Academy, 125 S. 52nd St., Saturday is canceled.

All School District after-school and athletic activities are cancelled Friday.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation sites will close at 6 p.m. Friday. All evening programs are canceled. These sites will remain closed on Saturday, and all Saturday programs are canceled.

The city has resources and shelters to help people stay safe during cold weather. If you see someone on the street who needs shelter or other homeless services, call 215-232-1984 to request outreach anytime.

Residents should contact the ACCT Philly hotline — 267-385-3800, extension 1 — if they observe 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.

The Philly 311 Call Center will remain open during regular business hours on Friday — 8 a.m. to 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.

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.

Philadelphia Gas Works' 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.

High wind gusts can cause power outages. Charge your electronic devices and report power outages to PECO online here.

If a tree falls during a storm and it’s blocking a road, or it has fallen on a house, car or other property, residents should 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.