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Pennsylvania Gets Hit With Another Round Of Snow

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia and surrounding communities declared snow emergencies and transportation officials reduced speed limits on some eastern and central highways as Pennsylvania braced for another blast of winter, with parts of the state expected to see up to 8 inches of snow by the morning rush hour.

Flakes were falling across parts of the state Tuesday night, and the National Weather Service said snow was expected to continue in many areas until around 8 a.m. Wednesday.

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"This is a nice, moderate middle-of-the road storm," said National Weather Service Meteorologist Patrick O'Hara, who said that two storms are converging -- one from the south and one from the east. "Nobody is going to be stuck in their homes for days and days."

In Philadelphia, expected to get 4 to 8 inches, the city declared a snow emergency as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, ordering cars removed from emergency routes. Mayor Michael Nutter said 450 trucks would be plowing and pouring 31,000 tons of salt on roads in an effort to keep roads clear.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation temporarily reduced speed limits on six highways in east-central Pennsylvania due to the winter storm.

PennDOT said the speed limit would be 45 mph on I-78 in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties; on I-80 in Monroe and Carbon counties; on I-81 in Schuylkill County; on I-380 in Monroe County; on US 22 in Lehigh and Northampton counties; and on PA 33 in Monroe and Northampton counties. The normal speed limits on those highways ranges from 50 to 65 mph.

Transportation officials urged residents to avoid travel unless it was absolutely necessary.
In the western part of the state, Pittsburgh and parts of northwestern Pennsylvania are expecting as much as 6 inches. Allentown and other parts of the Lehigh Valley could see 5 inches.

Philadelphia International Airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said Tuesday night that airlines had canceled about 250 flights, about 23 percent of the airport's scheduled arrivals, because of conditions elsewhere in the country. She said the airport was expected to remain open through the night.

"The good thing about the snow being expected to be heavier later is that our schedule diminishes, so you don't have the demand on the runway," Lupica said. She said 350 people would be working with more than 200 pieces of snow removal equipment to keep airport runways and roadways in operation.

Business was brisk at Albrights Hardware in South Whitehall Township, just west of Allentown, on Tuesday afternoon.

Sales of salt and snow shovels were picking up Tuesday, as was work in the shop's repair department, where people were rushing in to buy new parts for snow-removal equipment still worn out from last month's storm, store owner Ken Ringer said.

"They are rushing to get the snow thrower ready again," Ringer said.

Business was also was picking up in other parts of the store, he said, as people prepared to be stuck inside doing plumbing or hardware jobs around the house during the snow.

"I think it's a case of people are looking forward to being at home," he said.

(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed)

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