PHILADELPHIA– The Streets Department and related agencies are mobilizing staffing and resources for the arrival of snow this afternoon.
Current forecasts call for 1 to 3 inches of snow with temperatures between 27 to 28 degrees throughout the afternoon. The Streets Department will have 85 trucks ready to treat the streets with over 45,000 tons of salt available. This is planned to be a salting operation of primary and secondary roads, bridge decks and streets in higher elevations. Salting of roads will not begin until the snow arrives. The size of the Department’s salting operation will depend on the forecast at the time, but crews will be on standby for deployment.
Streets Department and Fleet Management crews are currently checking all equipment to be ready for the deployment. Crews will remain on-duty to monitor roadways and respond to problem locations and emergencies.
Homeless Outreach: With temperatures below freezing, the Office of Homeless Services Code Blue declaration remains in effect until Monday, December 18 at 10am. Throughout the Code Blue, Philadelphia’s homeless outreach teams will patrol the streets in greater numbers, urging homeless people to come to local shelters. People do not need ID to enter Code Blue shelters or cafes from the street, and they can remain indoors throughout the duration of the Code Blue. If you are concerned about someone who is homeless, please call the Outreach Coordination Center at 215-232-1984 at any time. Outreach is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. First responders can also transport people to shelter for their own safety.
Pet Safety: Citizens should contact the ACCT Philly hotline (267-385-3800) if they observe a dog or other pet outside during extreme cold. It is against City ordinance to leave dogs outside in extreme cold without proper shelter, and owners can be fined up to $500.
Stay informed:
- Tune in to local news for weather updates.
- Sign up for emergency alerts and weather updates from ReadyPhiladelphia. Get custom email or text alerts at www.phila.gov/ready or use new quick enrollment feature by texting READYPHILA to 888777 for text alerts only.
- For official updates from the City, follow @PhilaOEM on Twitter or find them on Facebook.
- Other City Twitter accounts to follow for information: @PhiladelphiaGov; @Philly311; @PhilaStreets; @PhillyPolice; and @PhillyFireDept.