Le Journal

Over the years, the Philadelphia area has experienced many powerful snowstorms. Some of these storms shut down roads, closed schools, and even kept people indoors for days. Snow is common here, but a few storms were so severe that people still talk about them years later. As we prepare for an upcoming winter storm, here’s a look back at the past storms that left a lasting mark on the region: Blizzard of 1996 Thirty years ago, the Blizzard of ’96 brought over two feet of snow to the Philadelphia region. The storm lasted from January 6 to January 10, with the heaviest impact on January 7 and 8. At the time, the previous snowfall record for the Philadelphia region was 21.3 inches, set in 1983. The Blizzard of ’96 delivered 30.7 inches. Snowstorm of 2009 On December 19, 2009 a major snowstorm hit the region just days before the holidays. Philadelphia receiving 23.2 inches of snow, making it one of the city’s biggest snowstorms on record. The weather forced the Eagles into a later game against the 49ers and even caused the Philadelphia International Airport to shut down . Snowmaggedon of February 2010 February of 2010 brought back-to-back storms. Two powerful snowstorms hit the Philadelphia region within one week, dumping large amounts of snow. Philadelphia recieved 28.5 inches of snow. Blizzard of 2016 Another major storm struck the region in January 2016. The storm happened Janaury 22 and lasted through Janauary 24. Area’s such as Allentown, Pennsylvania received 31.9 inches of snow, while Philadelphia recorded 22.4 inches. At least 30 people died during the storm, including three in Pennsylvania, as it impacted the East Coast. In New Jersey, hundreds of motorists drove despite warnings, resulting in 222 crashes and 868 calls for assistance, according to New Jersey State Police. Looking ahead to the upcoming weekend storm As a new winter storm approaches, the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team is monitoring the forecast closely. Snow is expected to arrive late Saturday, Jan. 24, with heavy snow developing into the morning of Sunday, Jan. 25, and continuing throughout the day. The Philadelphia region and surrounding suburbs are expected to get 9 to 13 inches of snow, the Lehigh Valley is expected to get 13 to 18 inches of snow, South Jersey is expected to get 5 to 9 inches of snow and coastal Delaware and the Jersey Shore is expected to get 3 to 5 inches of snow. Get the latest updates on how the area is preparing by clicking here.

After conducting studies, collecting surveys and gathering input from stakeholders, the School District of Philadelphia, on Thursday, released a master plan that calls for 20 district owned properties to be closed. The plan also calls for 12 of these properties to be repurposed for the district’s use while the remaining eight properties will be conveyed to the city to be used for workforce housing or job creation. Some properties impacted by closures, co-merging, moves and phase outs include: Closing Robert Morris Elementary and reassigning students to William D. Kelley Elementary School and Bache-Martin School. The Morris building will be repurposed as a hub for the District’s Office of Diverse Learners. Closing Samuel Pennypacker School and reassigning students to Franklin S. Edmonds Elementary School and Anna B. Day School. Closing John Welsh Elementary School and reassigning students to John Hartranft School and William McKinley Elementary School. The Welsh building will be modernized and repurposed as a new year-round high school. Closing James R. Ludlow School and reassigning students to Paul L. Dunbar School, Spring Garden School, and General Philip Kearny School. The Ludlow building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia for repurposing for affordable workforce housing and/or job creation. Closing Laura W. Waring School and reassigning students to Bache-Martin School. The Waring building will be modernized and repurposed as the home of Masterman Middle School. Closing Overbrook Elementary School and reassigning students to Lewis C. Cassidy Plus Academics, Guion S. Bluford Elementary School, John Barry Elementary School, and Edward Heston School. The Overbrook Elementary building will be modernized and repurposed as District network offices. Closing Rudolph Blankenburg School and reassigning students to James Rhoads Elementary School, Edward Heston School, and the newly co-located Martha Washington Academics Plus School/Middle Years Alternative School. The Blankenburg building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia for repurposing for affordable workforce housing and/or job creation. Closing Fitler Academics Plus after phase out. The Fitler building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia or sold. Phasing out General Louis Wagner Middle School and growing Prince Hall School, Joseph Pennell Elementary School, William Rowan School, Julia Ward Howe School, and Ellwood School. The Wagner building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia or sold. Phasing out Stetson Middle School and growing Lewis Elkin Elementary School and William Cramp Elementary School. The Stetson building will be repurposed as District swing space. Phasing out Warren G. Harding Middle School and growing James J. Sullivan School (which will move to the old Harding site), John Marshall School, Henry W. Lawton School, and Laura H. Carnell School. Phasing out William T. Tilden’s Middle School and growing Thomas G. Morton School, John M. Patterson School, and Joseph W. Catharine School. The Tilden building will be modernized and repurposed into an athletics and sports facility for Bartram High School. Phasing out Academy for the Middle Years at Northwest (AMY NW). The AMY NW building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia or sold. Closing Lankenau High School and merging the Lankenau program into Roxborough High School as an honors program. The Lankenau building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia or sold. Closing Motivation High School and merging the Motivation program into John Bartram High School as an honors program. The Motivation building will be repurposed as District swing space. Closing Paul Robeson High School and merging the Robeson program into William L. Sayre High School as an honors program with investments in CTE spaces and dual enrollment opportunities. The Robeson building will be conveyed to the City of Philadelphia or sold. Closing Parkway Northwest High School and merging the…