Philadelphia digs out after latest blast of winter weather
Wet, heavy snow hits City of Brotherly Love only a few weeks before the start of spring
Officials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey prepared for the worst on Wednesday as a second nor’easter ripped through the East Coast just days after a deadly storm left several dead and millions in the dark.
In preparation for the storm, the National Weather Service issued winter warnings in a number of states, including Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy fears that power outages will be widespread throughout the state, and declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening in anticipation.
The National Weather Service has warned that "travel will be very difficult to impossible" during both the morning and evening commute Wednesday in Philadelphia. (Fox News)
"Just like we did with last week's nor'easter we are engaging all levels of government to be ready to act and protect our residents and businesses," said Murphy.
Likewise in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf declared a state of emergency and urged residents to stay inside. He added that additional emergency response personnel would be on duty throughout the storm.
"Take care of your neighbors; that's what we ask," Wolf said during a Wednesday morning press briefing.
Wolf said 450 National Guard members are on standby to assist with storm preparations and aftermath.
“All of us owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who have worked around the clock,” said Wolf. “It’s been a really tough week for our first responders, emergency managers, transportation, utility workers, and state and local officials.”
Drivers in the Philadelphia area experienced slick roads Wednesday afternoon. (Fox News)
As heavy, wet snow fell throughout the Philadelphia region, one of the hardest hit areas in last week's storm, much of the city took heed to the governor’s request closing all public and parochial schools, as well as municipal buildings.
Yet workers like Tymire Gould who had to brave the treacherous commute into the city to ensure the sidewalks and streets were cleared for pedestrians, the winter storm is just a part of the job.
“Let it snow,” chuckled Gould. “The more it snows the more money I earn.”
But the anticipated six to eight inches of snow didn’t stop out-of-towners from enjoying their visit to the city of Brotherly Love.
College students Ben Prevost and Dalton Bowman from Georgia said they wanted a different type of spring break and flew up to see what all the fuss was about.
“We don’t get much snow in Rome, Georgia,” said Dalton.
Bowman added that "seeing the historic city was on my bucket list and the snow is just an added bonus."
Chris and Sonja Smith, a couple from Connecticut, said there is no where better to be in snow than Philadelphia.
“We had an 18-inch prediction at our house so we thought it would be wiser to come to Philadelphia,” Chris joked.
City Officials, however, are still urging residents to proceed with caution even as the storm begins to move out of the region.
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