Winter weather cleanup continues across Philadelphia area as even colder temps loom
Residents and crews across the Philadelphia area spent Monday digging out from the winter weather over the weekend and preparing for even colder temperatures on Tuesday.
A NEXT Weather Alert is in effect for bitterly cold conditions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday across the Philadelphia area. Wind chills on Tuesday morning could be between -15 and 5 degrees.
AAA in King of Prussia was busy Monday helping drivers with dead car batteries, a common issue when temperatures drop.
"When you have an exponential temperature drop, it loses about 30% of its charge just by sitting," AAA car care manager Gabriel Davila said. "That's why it's important to either make sure you have it on a tender or make sure you have been testing it prematurely just to make sure the battery itself is good and it won't die."
Delco digs out
Delaware County is digging out after two straight days of snow this holiday weekend. Bitter cold has moved in, leaving icy patches on the road that drivers need to watch carefully.
Many residents spent part of their Martin Luther King Jr. Day clearing the snow off their driveways, cars and sidewalks.
"Yesterday I did shovel everything, then to wake up again this morning to see more snow out there, so we're back at it again," Rick Geiner said as he used a snow blower at his house in Glen Mills.
Plow drivers worked around the clock over the weekend. MOR Construction is contracted to remove snow for Thornbury Township and Chadds Ford Township in Delaware County, as well as Birmingham Township in Chester County.
"The biggest challenge is the guys being up so many hours and basically cars, traffic, accidents from the refreeze," Brian Moore, supervisor for MOR Construction, said.
Moore added that crews used more than 200 tons of salt on Sunday. He said his team is planning to replenish the salt supply before the next round of winter weather later this week.
While snow removal crews focused on road safety, some families took advantage of the winter weather to have fun. With schools closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, dozens of kids went sledding at Clayton Park Golf Course in Glen Mills.
"It's all snowy here, and it's just a great day to be sledding," 9-year-old Antonio Rinchiuso from Aston said.
Antonio's mom, Rachelle Dambman, said the weather was perfect.
"Around here, there's a lot of good hills," Dambman said. "It is Pennsylvania, after all, but this is one of the best hills in the area to go. I've been coming here for years, ever since I was a kid."
Cleanup continues in Manayunk
In Philadelphia's Manayunk neighborhood, residents said roads and sidewalks were slippery.
"It's slick, and you gotta watch your step or you could pull out a knee," David Stewart said.
Some sidewalks were still slippery with ice Monday afternoon, but neighbors said road conditions were improving.
"I've been up here about 35 years now," John Lewis, of Manayunk, said. "It's gotten better with the city plowing and stuff like that, but a while back, they really did nothing.
The Philadelphia Streets Department said homeowners and business owners are responsible for clearing at least a three-foot-wide path on sidewalks.