UPDATED: 1/29/22, 4:22 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Greater Philadelphia region and South Jersey are feeling the effects of a winter blast, as a weekend nor'easter brought a blizzard to parts of the area.
Philadelphia got 4-9 inches of snow across the city, with 7 1/2 inches at Philadelphia International Airport.
The Garden State was hit even harder. Nearly a foot and a half of snow hit the Jersey Shore. Inland, things weren't a whole lot better, with at least half a foot in most areas.
Conditions deteriorated as the snow fell relentlessly into the later part of the morning, up to 3 inches an hour in some places.
Before the storm hit in earnest, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy had a very simple request.
"Stay home. Just stay home. Sit this one out," Murphy encouraged KYW Newsradio listeners to do Friday night and Saturday.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency including commercial vehicle restrictions, which began at 5 p.m. Friday.
The rest of the region is under a winter storm warning. Snow fell at 2-3 inches per hour Saturday morning along the Shore.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike implemented restrictions as well Friday night.
Drivers were already encountering issues during the Friday evening commute, as a four-mile expressway backup happened in New Jersey after a snowplow went into a guardrail.
Several inches of snow were packed onto the South Jersey roadways Saturday morning, making it difficult to discern the boundaries of the road in some places, and causing spinout accidents in others.
NBC10 First Alert Meteorologist Brittney Shipp said the winter storm was expected to form late Friday and overnight into Saturday, creating highly varying snow totals and heavy wind gusts.
"A nor'easter forms going into the day Saturday, with accumulating snow [and] strong wind gusts of 30 to 45 miles per hour," said Shipp.
Murphy said the state was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. The governor said in a press briefing Friday that winds up to 50 mph are likely to knock down power lines and cause service outages in the Garden State. Crews will be on standby to make repairs whenever it is safe for them to do so, he said.
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Philadelphia has also declared a snow emergency. All parked vehicles must be moved off streets labeled as snow emergency routes so they can be plowed.
The School District of Philadelphia also canceled after-school and athletic activities because of the storm.
PennDOT road crews were out early Friday morning in the Philadelphia suburbs, spreading anti-icing brine solution, leaving behind evidence of their work in white streaks across roadways, waiting for the first flakes to fall.
A department official said they saw an uptick last year, trickling into 2022, of first responders being injured or killed on the side of the road.
New Jersey bears the brunt
For the first time in several years, a blizzard warning was declared Friday evening for Monmouth, Ocean, Eastern Burlington, Atlantic, and Cape May counties. The blizzard was later confirmed Saturday morning.
Coastal cities along the Shore and Delaware coastline were hit hardest. Avalon and Northfield reported 15 inches. 14 inches fell in Galloway Township and Sea Isle City.
Atlantic County took a heavy hit with at least 12 inches on the ground. Public Information Officer Linda Gilmore said the plow operators have their work cut out for them, and will likely be busy through the rest of the weekend.
“As people start to venture out, that will certainly take up a lot of time and energy,” she said. “Give our crews time to do what they need to do with as little, you know, interference from other vehicles as possible.”
Plow crews were unable to keep up as the snow kept falling and the wind kept blowing the fluffy powder right back onto the freshly plowed blacktop.
A drastic drop in temperatures was expected in Atlantic City Friday evening.
"We want you to stay safe and we need you to dress very warm if you have to go outside. We're advising you not to go outside," said Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans.
Atlantic City officials said they would perform sweeps to bring homeless people and anyone who may need shelter to the rescue mission.
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It wasn’t just the shore that got pounded. Cherry Hill, Deptford and Delran all had 7 inches of snow on the ground. It was 9 inches in Southampton and Shamong.
State officials warned the strong winds could toss around tractor trailers on the slippery roads, so Murphy declared a commercial vehicle ban on interstate highways throughout the state.
In addition to the commercial restrictions, all drivers are encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel. New Jersey's Department of Transportation said state highways are ready and brined for the incoming snow, but state Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said drivers still need to take it easy.
"The speed that was posted is called 'the limit.' That's the fastest you're supposed to go, so you can slow down and it's all good, we're happy with that," said Gutierrez-Scaccetti. She also warned drivers to watch for black ice.
State Police Superintendent Pat Callahan insisted that people stay off the roads altogether when the snow really starts coming down.
For those who do need to be out, officials say it’s extremely important to give the plows space to operate safely. And if there is a disabled vehicle on the shoulder, drivers are required to move over one lane as they pass.
Officials suggest that if you have to travel, get an emergency kit ready for your car and fill it with things like a blanket, water, snacks, a phone charger, and a flashlight in the event you get stranded.
Unlike other recent storms, Murphy said there didn't appear to be any COVID-19-related staffing problems, so all hands were expected on deck for the plow and salt crews.
Vaccine megasites in New Jersey are also closed Saturday.
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Jay Sorgi, Eric Walter and Andre Bennett contributed to this report.
