Philadelphia upended by first snowstorm of 2025
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Philly is recovering from its first snowstorm of the new year and bracing for a cold snap.
Why it matters: The major winter storm that swept much of the U.S. Monday dumped several inches of snow across Philly, closed schools and city offices and disrupted travel.
The big picture: Philadelphia has experienced a mild winter so far, registering only three-tenths of an inch of snowfall before Monday's storm dumped several inches across the region.
- Global warming has affected snowfall totals across the U.S., with nearly two-thirds of more than 2,000 locations getting less snow than they did in the early 1970s, per a Climate Central analysis.
By the numbers: Snow totals reached nearly two inches in parts of the city. Parts of Delaware and New Jersey saw almost nine inches and seven inches, respectively, per the National Weather Service.
- Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled at Philadelphia International Airport on Monday, per Flight Aware.
Stunning stat: The most snow Philly's had on Jan. 6 — 5.1 inches — came in 1989.
What's next: A cold snap, with temperatures expected to remain below freezing, will last through at least Friday, Climate Central meteorologist Lauren Casey tells Axios.
- There's a 30% chance for snow on Saturday, which could make for bitter conditions at the Eagles' playoff opener against the Green Bay on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
The intrigue: Philly hasn't seen a weeklong stretch of temperatures at or below freezing since 2017-18, Casey says.
- The city's longest sub-freezing streak is 15 days, which occurred twice in February 1961 and February 1979, per Casey.
What they're saying: "It's generally rare. We don't stay that cold for that long in Philadelphia," Casey says.
What's ahead: More flakes are likely in February — typically the snowiest month of the year, registering an average of 8.4 inches.
