Philadelphia Streets Department, Residents In Suburbs Readying For Yet Another Round Of Winter Weather
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Drivers and commuters in Philadelphia are bracing for some dangerous conditions. The Philadelphia Streets Department is readying yet again for another round of winter weather.
This time, instead of inches of snow, ice is expected to pose a more significant challenge.
"Black ice is extremely dangerous, more so sometimes than an actual snow event. Because it's invisible, it's hard to see and if people are traveling at excessive speeds and hit it, it can cause serious accidents," said Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams.
The city has been treating roads for weeks in light of recent snow and ice events and the Streets Department believes that may be an advantage in tackling this latest storm.
"Most of the streets are treated still, you'll still see a white film over the streets. That's our brine solution and our salt solution that we put down so there's a lot of treatment still there," Willaims said. "There's a white coating that you'll see on the street, that's not due to the snow, that's actually due to the salt and brine solution that we already put down so that pre-treatment is lasting and helping."
SEPTA is also preparing for an icy morning commute with trains, buses and trolleys expected to run on a normal schedule.
Crews are out treating platforms and bus routes, and will remain flexible depending on the severity of conditions by morning.
"We have to watch too with ice when it comes to possible down trees, ice weighing the trees down and going into our overhead power lines," said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.
Some areas around Philadelphia always pose more of a problem during ice storms.
"What we would expect is similar to when we get other winter storms, we could see disruptions on bus routes that are in hilly areas so, you know, for example, Manayunk," Busch said.
SEPTA will deploy crews as necessary to clear their routes and the Streets Department says there's no shortage in the city's salt supply.
"We started the season with 50,000 tons. So far, we've used about 25,000 but we replenish it each week," Williams said.
Meanwhile, in Chester County, a light drizzle Monday night kept the roads wet in Downingtown, but nothing dangerous just yet.
"With how P.A. takes care of the roads it's not a concern, they usually take care of the roads in no time at all," shopper Wesley Bialk said.
But with back-to-back cold weather events, piles of plowed snow are a reminder of last week's storm.
Bialk, who lives in West Chester, says he's glad the ice storm is scheduled to make its way through this area overnight when fewer drivers are on the road.
"Quick reactions are the worst thing you can do in icy conditions," he said.
A bit away, down Lancaster Avenue, Eyewitness News caught Lucera Garcia and her mom shopping for groceries, unaware icy conditions were possibly just hours away, but glad they'll be safe at home.
"I live on a highway so we get accidents in front of my house a couple of times a year due to the weather, so that's what really the only thing that concerns me," Garcia said. "I'm like more of a fall, spring person, so no snow."
CBS3's Natasha Brown and Greg Argos contributed to this report.
