Snow covers region, but Jersey Shore seeing the worst of it

A fluffy white powder blanketed the Philadelphia region Saturday, but the Jersey Shore is seeing the worst of it, with snowfall expected in the double digits by the time it ends.

GALLERY: Snow blankets Fairmount Park

Forecasters on Saturday boosted expected snow totals in Cape May and Atlantic County to between 8-12 inches before it ends later this afternoon. Forecasters with the National Weather Service said they expect the snow to fall about two hours longer than initially forecasted, driving up snowfall totals a bit.

Residents near the shore report accumulations are already noticeably heavier closer to the coast.

Trained spotters measured 6 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. in South Dennis Township in Cape May County, and 6 inches by 12:40 p.m. in Collings Lakes, Atlantic County. About 2 inches of snow was measured in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia by 12:20 p.m., with most towns in Montgomery and Chester counties seeing less than an inch by late morning.

It was the second snowstorm in as many days in the Philadelphia region.

The snow was causing accidents across South Jersey, including a jackknifed tractor trailer that partially blocked southbound I-295 lanes in Logan Township, Gloucester County, around 1:20 p.m. About 10 minutes earlier, a multi-vehicle accident closed all the northbound lanes of I-295 in Paulsboro.

Earlier in the morning, overturned vehicles were reported on the Atlantic City Expressway in Gloucester Township, Camden County, and on U.S. 30 in Absecon, Atlantic County.

Motorists are advised to use extra caution if they need to travel on snow-covered roads. Blustery winds are contributing to poor visibility on some roads in the region. 

Firefighters are at the scene of a fire on the 500 block East Revere Way in Galloway Township, where snow is falling heavily, according to the news site Breaking AC. Residents report more snow of the ground closer to the shore.

There was enough snow on Long Beach Island to draw cross-country skiers to the beach.

Speed limits on the Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike are restricted to 35 mph because of the snowy conditions and plowing operations. There is a 25 mph speed restriction on the Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman and Betsy Ross bridges.

An FAA ground stop for flights departing to the Philadelphia International Airport was canceled about 2:50 p.m. Arrival delays average more than three-and-a-half hours, the airport said on Twitter, advising people to check the status of flights with their airlines.

No disruption has been seen on SEPTA's Regional Rail service.

By the time it moves out, the storm is expected to drop between 4-6 inches of snow on Philadelphia and Trenton, and about half that amount in north and western suburban towns like West Chester, Norristown and Doylestown.

That is significantly higher than forecast on Friday, but forecasters had warned any shift in the track of the storm – even minor – could result in significant differences to snowfall accumulations.

The storm will set no records for snowfall on this date. On January 7, 1996, 27.6 inches of snow fell at Philadelphia International Airport and 12.7 inches was registered in Atlantic City, according to the weather service.

The falling snow is light and fluffy, with very cold air remaining in place through early next week. A warmup will begin Tuesday, and especially Wednesday into Thursday. Rain looks to make a return midweek as well.

Meanwhile, Code Blue alerts have been declared in a number of area counties, including Philadelphia, Montgomery and Camden counties.