SEPTA suspends all service around Philadelphia amid a major snowstorm

Snow is expected to start falling after 7 p.m. Friday and won’t slow down until Sunday around 10 a.m. Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, which allows authorities to respond quickly to any problems.

“Some area is going to get mauled out of this”, she said, with a potential for up to 30 inches. Uccellini said it won’t be quite as bad as Superstorm Sandy, but people should expect high winds, a storm surge and inland flooding from DE to NY.

Nationally, the flight tracking service FlightAware.com says more than 7,000 flights were canceled for both Friday and Saturday ahead of the storm.

Washington looks like the bull’s-eye of the blizzard, and New York City is just inside the slow-moving storm’s sharp northern edge, which means it is likely to see heavy accumulations, Uccellini said. In New Jersey it affects all of South Jersey and Central Jersey, except for the southern portion of Cape May County, which remains under a winter storm watch. Blizzard warnings stretched to just north of New York City.

Some places in Pennsylvania have already seen more than two feet of snow from this huge storm – and the snow continues to come down in some areas. “If we hit 15” this time around, it’ll be among the top 10 worst snowstorms in the region.

If the storm does qualify as a blizzard – that is, winds of 35 m.p.h. or visibilities of a quarter mile or less – this would be the first one in Philadelphia in at least 20 years.

Winds and the rate of snowfall will increase as the storm strengthens through Saturday. Gusts along the mid-Atlantic coast will frequent 45-50 miles per hour.

In Atlantic shoreline communities, as well as along the back bays and sounds from NY to Virginia, strong onshore winds will cause tides to run 2-4 feet above normal. The capital’s subway system announced that it will shut down entirely late Friday night and remain closed through Sunday for the sake of employee and rider safety.

States of emergency were declared in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and parts of other states, where road crews were out in force Thursday.

Snow was falling across many areas in Tennessee before sunrise.

“For our region, this is good timing”, said Jeffrey Knueppel, general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, which is suspending nearly all service around Philadelphia Saturday. Blustery. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

In the mountains of Craigsville, West Virginia, people bought the usual kerosene heaters, propane tanks and gas cans, but also a special item: a rake that helps homeowners get snow off their roofs.

Many resorts got a late start to the season because of record high temperatures in December.

At the Jersey Shore, moderate-to-major coastal flooding is expected at the Saturday morning high tide, but flooding could be seen again with Saturday evening’s high tide.

A Code Blue declaration is in effect for Montgomery County through 9 a.m Monday. The northern mid-Atlantic region, including Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia, is preparing for a weekend snowstorm that is…

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard watch for Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs and South Jersey on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.

Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr. says salt and sand trucks have been out since early Friday morning treating main roadways, but icy conditions have been reported on some bridges and overpasses. It was not expected to stop until Sunday.

Municipal and state preparations for the impending storm started early.

Philadelphia has begun its snow emergency, which prohibits residents from parking on major streets in the city.