Philadelphia Weather: As Many As 450 Snow Plows Working To Clear Streets Across City
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In Philadelphia, plows have been on the move, trying to clear the accumulated snow from city streets. Ridge Avenue in North Philadelphia is much clearer Thursday afternoon than it was just a few hours earlier.
Cars are whizzing by with no problem, thanks to the efforts of the Streets Department and hundreds of plows.
Snowblowers and shovels were a necessity as folks in Philadelphia tried to clear a path through accumulating snow.
As many as 453 snow plows canvassed the city as the heavy snow quickly covered streets. Drivers took it slow and steady as they navigated snow-covered roads.
"Accumulations are starting to come down pretty heavy now. I think we're in the midst of this storm. We're dealing with about 3 to 4 inches on the ground in certain parts, some as much as 5 to 6," Philadelphia Streets Department Commissioner Carlton Williams said.
A snow emergency declaration issued early Thursday morning means cars need to be cleared to allow for snowplows.
For those venturing out, walking proved to be the better way to get around -- ever so carefully.
"It's just icy outside, that's all. The weather is kinda bad," one woman said.
"Just walking, not driving my car. I live close so it's easy to just walk to the store so I was just trying to take advantage of that," said another.
Thursday was the launch of the PlowPHL app, which allows users to find exactly where snowplows in your neighborhood are in near real-time.
Meanwhile, most of Manayunk is shut down Thursday night. Many businesses and restaurants have been closed as plows and salt trucks worked their way through the neighborhood.
"I need that workout! It's good to get out of the house. I just got done working for the day," resident Alex Judge said.
When it snows in Manayunk, residents can expect a workout. We spotted residents walking up and down the hilly neighborhood, salting sidewalks and digging out.
And when you live in this section of Philly, there's an art to staying safe.
"You got to be careful. You've got to take the right streets, you can't go down side streets that are unplowed and you've got to be aware of the cars on the side of the roads, as well as the bottom of the roads," resident Sean McCan said.
Parking is hard to come by in Manayunk, especially when snowfall is expected. For those who do find spots, it's not always close, which means walking a couple of blocks with a shovel.
"I have to park down there in a lot. Not many spots available on the street right now so I just went down to clean my car off, shovel and get ready for work tomorrow," Judge said.
One resident says he's been digging out since 7 a.m.
"You got to stick with it because this stuff will melt and turn into ice right on your windshield. You want to try to get it before it gets too bad. You want to keep checking on your car," they said.
Though Philadelphia residents may have had their fair share of snow this season, the pups are still enjoying the cold of winter.
"He eats the snow the entire time, he loves to walk so he just enjoys it, slips around," resident Angela Ball said.
Trash and recycling collection will resume tomorrow. If your trash collection is Friday, the city is asking you to hold off until next Friday.
CBS3's Natasha Brown and Kimberly Davis contributed to this report.
