January 22, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
One of the largest snowstorms in Philly's history brought 22.5 inches ahead of a 76ers game in 2016. Above, a look at the accumulation outside the Wells Fargo Center.
A major snowstorm is expected to hit Philadelphia this weekend, with some weather models suggesting the city could see a foot or more of snow.
National Weather Service predictions from Wednesday say that the city has an 80% chance of at least 6 inches of snow, although it's unclear if snowfall will begin Saturday or Sunday. Temperatures are expected to remain in the low teens to mid-20s, meaning the region is in for a frigid weekend.
Though 6-plus inches is pretty significant for snowfall in Philadelphia, it sits far below the record 30.7 inches set in 1996. As the region's residents prepare for a few days indoors (or on their sleds), here's a look back at some of the largest snowfalls of the last three decades.
The Blizzard of 1996 dumped massive amounts of snow throughout the Northeast. Philadelphia received a record 30 inches. Above, a York police officer helps dig out a car during the snowstorm.
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The blizzard of 1996 ranks as the Philadelphia area's largest snowstorm. A whopping 30.7 inches fell on the city over three days. The storm was strengthened by Arctic air being blown in from Canada as the storm developed over the Tennessee Valley, Accuweather said. From there, the storm moved throughout Mid-Atlantic region.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware all declared states of emergency. In Philadelphia, more than 30 emergency vehicles, including 15 firetrucks, became stranded in the snow, and highways were shut down throughout the region.
Snowplows had nowhere to put all of the snow, so crews dumped snow into the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers to keep it off of the roads and sidewalks.
The storm stretched from central North Carolina to the southern part of Maine, and resulted in 60 deaths, $500 million in insured losses and days of traffic issues.
"The metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston were virtually paralyzed as snowfalls of 19 to 31 inches were whipped into 5- to 8-foot snow drifts," a federal report from December 1996 says.
This snowstorm brought 11 to 16 inches of snow to Philadelphia, depending on the neighborhood. It fell at a rate of 2-3 inches per hour — whiteout conditions — and brought thundersnow. Snow drifts were 4 to 5 feet deep, and there was coastal flooding at the Jersey Shore.
The snow totals were higher outside Philadelphia, with Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties getting about 18 inches. Chester County got even more, topping out at 20.5 inches in West Caln Township.
The storm stretched across the East Coast, though Philadelphia missed the worst of the snow. It brought 26.9 inches of snowfall to Central Park in New York City. That was the most reported there since record-keeping began in 1869.
A pair of brothers glide through the snow outside of Wilmington, Delaware during a snowstorm that hit the Greater Philadelphia region in December 2009.
SUCHAT PEDERSON/Imagn Images
This storm dumped 23.2 inches on Philadelphia just a few days before Christmas, delaying an Eagles game and shutting down flights at Philadelphia International Airport for the night. SEPTA schedules also were delayed. At the time, it was the second-largest snowstorm in Philadelphia history and the largest snowstorm in ever recorded in December.
The storm disrupted the final weekend of holiday shopping. Malls and stores throughout the region were empty or closed early due to poor road conditions. Though the storm hit on a Saturday and Sunday, schools closed that Monday so crews could clear sidewalks and roads.
Snow was still piled up on Christmas, with 8 inches recorded at the airport. A stressed sewage system led to concerns about flooding on Christmas, because a rainstorm was expected.
The back-to-back snowstorms in February 2010 caused havoc throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Above, snow piled up in Lewes, Delaware.
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The East Coast was hit with back-to-back snowstorms in February 2010, an event dubbed "snowmaggedon." The first storm dropped 28.5 inches on Feb. 5-6. Another 15.8 inches came down in the days that followed, leaving Philadelphia with a one-week snowfall of 44.3 inches. The initial storm brought the second-most snow in Philadelphia history.
Snow accumulated quickly, and officials had to remove plows from the roads due to high winds and whiteout conditions. Schools and public transit were shut down, and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell closed major highways, including three interstates in Philadelphia, leaving only Interstate 95 open. Approximately 1,100 members of the National Guard were deployed to help stranded drivers, and thousands were left without electricity due to fallen trees and power lines.
February 2010 was the snowiest since record-keeping began in 1884. In addition to the early storms, another 5.6 inches fell on Feb. 25. In total, measurable amounts of snow fell on 10 days, and snow was on the ground for 22 days that February.
This storm surprised meteorologists when freezing rain turned into snow during the morning commute on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Though that precipitation quickly stopped, by 9 p.m., it was again snowing throughout the Philadelphia area, with snowfall rates as high as 4 inches per hour in some places. There also were reports of thunder and lightening in Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties, and reports of sleet and pea-sized hail at the Jersey Shore.
In total, more than 15 inches of snow fell on the city. More than 12 inches of that fell during the second snowfall, which was spread out over nine hours.
The one-two punch of the day's storms caused more than 15,000 people in the Philadelphia region to lose power. Crews had a difficult time cleaning the streets and sidewalks, because the initial snow and sleet left a compact layer of ice beneath the later snowfall. SEPTA was still delayed 24 hours after it had stopped snowing.
Philadelphia was hit with 13.5 inches of snow on a Tuesday, prompting Mayor Michael Nutter to issue a snow emergency. Snowfall amounts were consistent throughout the city's 135 square miles.
Clearing it was a monumental task. The Streets Department sought to get 100 miles of snow emergency routes cleared by the next night and 80% of secondary roads passable, meaning there would be snow and slush left behind on those roads.
"This will be a marathon effort that will likely stretch into Saturday," Nutter said at the time. "We're asking our citizens to be patient."
The heavy accumulation was the third storm that dropped 6 inches or more on Philadelphia that winter, and it marked the first time the region had recorded three snowstorms before February in the course of a winter.
But the real impact came from the freezing-cold air that followed the storm. Frigid temperatures, coupled with a wind chill, made it feel like -10 degrees in Philadelphia, a temperature so cold that it disrupts the effectiveness of road salt. In some areas, it felt as cold as -25 degrees, the National Weather Service said.
The high winds also caused snow drifts, making travel dangerous. Nearly 1,500 flights were cancelled throughout the country, and Amtrak had to refund customers due to its reduced schedule.
Snow piles up outside of St. Joseph's Preparatory School in North Philadelphia in January 2016.
John Kopp/PhillyVoice
A little more than 20 years after the 1996 blizzard, Philly marked the anniversary with another huge snowstorm. Snow began falling Friday, Jan. 22, and by Saturday afternoon, 17.1 inches had dropped at the airport. The storm continued throughout the weekend, with the total snowfall reaching 20-22.5 inches throughout the city.
SEPTA suspended almost all service through Sunday, and all airport flights were canceled. Cleanup began Sunday, but many roads were still icy and uncleared on Monday, leaving many without a way to get to work.
"Exercise restraint," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said at the time. "If you can, stay home. It really helps the crews do their work."
Shore towns also were hit with record flooding. In Cape May County, the tide measured 8.65 feet, which was on par with records set during Hurricane Sandy and the Storm of 1962. At one point, 45,000 Atlantic City Electric customers were without power.
