Get ready for more winter weather whiplash | Morning Newsletter
And tough times for those who lost their homes in Hurricane Ida.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
I’m Evan Weiss, an Inquirer editor filling in for Kerith. Yesterday was a beautifully mild day, reaching 70 degrees, but today we’ll only hit the high 30s. Why? We’ll get into it, but essentially, Philly’s weather has been topsy-turvy lately and that’s not going to slow down.
We’ll also check in with the families who lost their homes during Hurricane Ida and are still stuck in hotel rooms six months later.
— Evan Weiss (@eaweiss, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
It’s been cold then warm then cold then warm and now we’re in the midst of a brand-new cold front. Roller-coaster temperatures are common this time of year as we approach spring, but they’re not usually this extreme.
About one in four days from January through April sees a high temperature 10 degrees higher or lower than the previous day.
“It certainly can be crazy and jumpy,” said Dave Dombek, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. And if temperatures drop by 30 degrees or more between Wednesday and Thursday, as predicted, this month will have a fifth daily high-temperature change of 20 degrees or more. That many big swings in one month has happened only nine times since 1874.
On top of all of that, our reporters Aseem Shukla and Anthony R. Wood (“AccuTony”) say we can expect more peaks and valleys to come.
What you should know today
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has picked a new congressional map. Is it better for Democrats or Republicans? We tested it.
SEPTA’s locked gates are frustrating riders — and even trapping some in concourses.
What we learned from a new housing report focused on Center City.
The man who served pizzas out of his apartment window for charity just donated his Good Pizza idea to Philabundance.
13 things to know about new Sixers star James Harden.
And do you feel like taking a little drive? Here’s what to do, eat, and see in Ardmore.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
As the six-month anniversary of the storm approaches, hundreds of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed by record-breaking floods are still piecing their lives back together.
Of 302 households put up in hotels by Montgomery and Chester Counties, 182 have found housing or returned to their repaired homes. The remaining 120 have no inhabitable home to return to. And that number doesn’t include displaced families who aren’t staying in the county-funded hotels.
“I feel like I’m stuck,” said Jennifer Sexton, who has been living at a King of Prussia hotel with her children since September. “I feel like I’m in a hole and I can’t get out of it. And it breaks my heart, because I’m trying.”
Our reporter Justine McDaniel digs deeper into what it looks like for these people who long for their homes.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
The James Beard Awards are back after a two-year hiatus. Philly-area restaurants have won a number of awards in the past, but how many local semifinalists made the list this year? Find the answer here.
a. 2
b. 5
c. 13
d. 17
What we’re …
🤔 Wondering: What does the future of conflict look like if Putin can’t be stopped?
📚 Reading: Why the era of remote work is particularly bad for mom-and-pop shops, like the recently shuttered Joseph Fox Bookshop.
👂 Listening to: “It’s good to be back” by Metronomy — a song that both my toddler and I can dance to.
Photo of the day
Thanks for having me and good luck with the cold. 🧤