Philadelphia schools closed for snow

The first major snowstorm of 2015 has placed Philadelphia in a state of emergency and kept kids out of school.

Mayor Michael Nutter announced Monday night that all public and parochial schools will be closed Tuesday. City offices will also be closed for all non-essential personnel, Nutter said.

As of 10 p.m. the National Weather Service was predicting between 10 and 14 inches of snow to drop on the Philadelphia-area Tuesday morning.

Nutter announced Monday afternoon that all cars parked on snow emergency routes must be moved before 6 p.m. or they will be towed. Motorists can find a map of snow emergency routes online at philadelphiastreets.com.

Trash and recycling pickup were suspended Monday because of plowing, Nutter said.

Roads will be treated within 24 to 72 hours after snowfall ends.

SEPTA GM Joe Casey said the Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line will run on a regular schedule, however several bus lines will be cut back. Regional Rail trains will run on a Saturday schedule.

Nutter said the sometimes contentious issue of residents shoveling out parking spots and then placing a trash can or chair in the spot to “save it” has “vexed the city.”

“At the end of the day common sense should rule,” Nutter said. “Work it out between neighborhoods. You’re neighbors. … It’s just a parking spot.”

“Once you get down to Delaware and Chester County there is potential for totals to fall off to the 6 to 8-inch range though,” Gaines said.

Wind gusts could reach up to 40 mph, and isolated power outages are a possibility, so Nutter asked for people to take precaution when leaving their homes, and not to do so until after the storm has passed.

“The storm hasn’t reached blizzard proportions,” Gaines said, “but it’s still developing.”