Heavy snow shuts down region

With snow falling heavily, the National Weather Service has extended the region's winter weather warning until 1 p.m. Monday, with blizzard conditions in Southern Burlington county and the Jersey Shore.

In the city, reduced cost overnight parking is available in six city-owned lots in light of the current snow emergency, which requires the removal of cars parked on evacuation routes.

A flat $5 overnight rate will apply to cars parked in those lots from Sunday until 6 p.m. Monday. However, cars entering those lots at or after 8 a.m. Monday will be charged the normal posted rates.

Those lots are located at 5th and Market Streets, 2nd and Sansom; 10th and Filbert; 8th and filbert; 10th and Ludlow; and at JFK (LOVE) Park.

But with little to shovel at 4 p.m., concern centered on the Eagles-Vikings game, rescheduled to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

They don't normally call it Monday Night Football for nothing - the last time any NFL game was played on a Tuesday night was in Oct. 1946. And the last time the Eagles played on a Tuesday was in September 1944 - when they went up against the "Boston Yanks" at Fenway Park.

The snow emergency, announced by the mayor at 2 p.m. Sunday, triggered key parking and snow removal regulations, as well as the opening of emergency shelters for people who are homeless and round-the-clock response on the city's 311 hotline.

But by 3 p.m. Sunday, most of the calls to that line were about the Eagles game, a city spokesman said.

The snowfall is expected to taper off after dark but continue until 1 p.m. Monday, said Lee Robertson of the National Weather Forecast.

Temperatures will remain in the upper 20s, with 20-30 mile per hour winds.

Monday will bring sunshine but continued high winds, a wind chill near zero. No additional snow is expected for the rest of the week, according to AccuWeather's Tom Kines. But wind and cold will remain through Tuesday.

The snow brought a bevy of cancellations. The African American Museum went ahead with its planned Kwanzaa celebration in the morning but then closed at 3 p.m.

Also closed: the National Constitution Center, Independence Visitors Center and the Liberty Bell; Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum.

A performance of Disney on Ice presents Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3, at the Wells Fargo Center went on at 11 a.m. Sunday. But the 7 p.m. Tuesday performance is cancelled. Ticket holders for that performance can exchange them for any of the remaining performances of Disney on Ice appearing at Wells Fargo Center through Sunday, January 2.

Cirque du Soleil cancelled the Dralion performance slated for 7 p.m. Sunday at the Liacouras Center. Ticket holders can make exchanges at the Liacouras Center Box office.

Performances of Annie at the Media Theater in Media, Pa. are cancelled and the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in Millville NJ is closed.

The day after Christmas is traditionally a busy travel day and with icy roads and poor visibility, numerous accidents were reported, but most were fender-benders.

No service disruptions were reported at 3 p.m. on SEPTA. Service updates will be posted at www.septa.org or can be obtained by calling 215-5807800.

At Philadelphia International Airport more than 70 percent of flights were cancelled.

"We are alternating between our two main runways, closing one down to clear it and shifting back and forth. But we are still operating," said spokesman Victoria Lupica.

By 4 p.m. Southwest and American Airlines had ceased operations for the day.

Travelers should check with their airlines or the airport web site, www.phl.org or airport toll free number for flight information: 1-800-745-4283.

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