The snow actually fell in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where up to 6.5 inches of snow was recorded in some parts of the county.
We also saw some children playing next to the Christmas tree, while others hurried to seek refuge inside. Even in the snow, many still adhere to mask mandates.
PennDOT worked hard to keep drivers safe in the Lehigh Valley.
“It’s going to come down to a pretty good clip and they’ll continue to plow overnight all day tomorrow until we have everything clear,” said Ron Young, a PennDOT district officer.
SEE ALSO: Check out the latest AccuWeather forecasts
In Allentown, some travelers were trying to get home during the height of the storm.
“The roads become so many. There are so many, especially when you get off the interstate,” said Josh Haeuser of Nazareth.
In Chester County, the first flakes began to fall in Phoenixville around 1pm to 2pm, the roads were leafy and snowy.
“I just go home and stay home. I just came looking for what I need to bring home,” Mike Harper said as he passed by a store.
The National Weather Service recorded 7 inches of snow in some parts of the county.
SEE ALSO: Delays, travel restrictions in the Philadelphia region due to the winter storm
Chester County is under a winter weather alert that will run until 10 a.m. Thursday. Government offices closed Wednesday at 2 p.m., as snow began to build up.
The Phoenixville district declared a snow emergency, banning cars from parking along roads designated as snow routes. The order is to ensure that the snowplows have enough room to maneuver in the storm.
For three-year-old Knox and other kids in the region, there’s nothing like a white Christmas. Knox was making snow angels and throwing snowballs Wednesday afternoon in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
“Very excited because she hasn’t had a real snow day yet,” Wayne’s mother Nicole Washington said. “Last year, there was almost no snow. So excited to take him outside and play.”
For some, the flakes are a good recovery from the grueling year that has been 2020.
During the height of the storm, Delaware County officials say first responders helped with more than 100 emergencies, including a buildup of vehicles on I-95 in Ridley.
“I think seven people had to be transported. Once again it shows the tension we put into our EMS systems during this COVID period. Seven ambulances arriving on I-95 during a snowstorm are an important task in our county. said Timothy Boyce, director of emergency services for Delaware County.
In downtown Reading, snowblowers were chanting as some people began to clean up.
About half a meter of snow fell in Berks County, much of it for only a couple of hours.
Reading Mayor Eddie Moran says, “During this snowstorm, I’m going to ask once again that they be good neighbors for everyone. Check out the elderly.”
In Philadelphia, the National Weather Service reported 5.7 inches of snow – the highest since 2018.
“The first one now is always a bit of magic. It makes everything look cleaner. It makes this year, which has been a little challenging, a little more bearable and a little more festive at this time of year.” says Christina of South Philadelphia.
The flakes that bring back memories of her children, for 83-year-old Elizabeth Moto. “All I remember is that they were young and happy, they played,” she says.
For some, the biggest concern is not the roads, but what comes once you get home.
“I went home. Hopefully, I have a parking space. If not, I’ll come back here to park and come home,” says Ron Ashworth, who is ready to walk 12 blocks, but only if he has to. .
Bucks County officials are asking residents to give them time to clear the roads after several inches of snow fell Wednesday night. We found a lot of people working in the snow and enjoying it.
“If you’re not here plowing or trying to keep the roads clean, you just have to stay home,” said Gavi Verona of GL & Sons Landscaping. He had several crews working in Warrington Township, clearing snow from large car parks.
“Right now I’m taking advantage. There’s not too much snow. I bring food and hot soup to my guys,” Verona said.
Once the sun went down and the flakes turned to ice, the roads were left pretty empty, except for the Warrington peasant crews.
The nor’easter brought a mixture of winter and rain to some parts of southern Jersey.
“We ask that you please take it slowly and use common sense and caution,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.
The state has deployed about 4,000 plows and sprinklers to treat the roads during the storm, but thick snow was still accumulating on major roads such as Route 30 in Lawnside and also caused visibility problems in places like Lakeview Drive in municipality of Voorhees.
“It somehow brings back normal times, the normalcy of things in a sense. It takes our minds away from the crazy pandemic that’s going on,” said Charles Giddins of Pennsauken.
The NWS reported 3.9 inches of snow in Salem County, 6.5 inches of snow in Cherry Hill and 0.5 inches of snow in Cumberland County.
Officials said they did not expect the winter blast to disrupt the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, which began Monday for front-line health workers, the first U.S. group to receive the shots. The first 3 million shots are strictly limited to those workers and residents of the residences.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said Wednesday that the government is closely monitoring vaccine shipments, which already has staff to receive them, and believes companies carrying them can navigate the U.S. storm.
“It’s FedEx, it’s UPS express shipping. They know how to deal with snow and bad weather. But we follow it and we follow it,” he told Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.”
With 35 vaccine deliveries at New Jersey hospitals scheduled for the next day or two, Murphy said his administration was focused on making sure they continued, even exempting vaccine delivery trucks from the traffic ban. storm-related commercial on some highways. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the first shipment of vaccines from his state had already been distributed to about 90 hospitals, and the next delivery should not be made until about Tuesday, long after the storm.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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