Here’s What to Expect When You Wake Up Tuesday Morning

From snow to schools to trash pickup.

Yet again, Philadelphia is bracing for a snowstorm that might or might not happen. Everyone seems to agree that snow is coming. But how much will fall? And how will it affect your Tuesday? Here, some answers.

Snowfall Amounts

Naturally, that’s what everyone wants to know. At the beginning of the season, our local forecasters were more likely to make bold predictions. But now, after a couple of misfires, they’re couching their forecasts with the old “but this could all change” statements.

Here’s what they’re saying:

Cecily Tynan: She’s at home recovering from a leg injury but still filing via Facebook, and she’s calling for 3″ to 6″ for Philadelphia and the immediately surrounding suburbs, noting that “people in the far north and west suburbs will be thinking: Where’s all the snow?” Get well soon, Cec.

Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz: NBC 10 is calling for more than six inches in some areas. “The storm itself is moving quickly with no system to block it in the Atlantic,” says Schwartz. “That will lead to a limited number of hours of snow. The northern edge of the storm is the hardest part to predict since there will be a sharp cutoff between several inches and nothing.”

John Bolaris: Earlier on Monday, Bolaris via WeatherSavior.com was calling for a bit less, but on Monday night, he decided to “edge [the] amount back up to the 3-5 inch range in Philly.”

Robert Drake: When we checked in with our favorite unpaid forecaster on Monday night, he said he was sticking with his Sunday prediction of 3″ to 6″ with a bit more south and a bit less north.

But Southeastern PA Severe Weather offers what is, perhaps, the most important information: “This will be a very dry powder snow … good for sledding.” (Check out Philly Mag’s Ultimate Guide to Sledding in Philadelphia.)

School Closings

After the last snow-prediction debacle, in which Philadelphia announced school closures at 10 p.m. the night before a “snowstorm” that barely flurried on Philadelphia — resulting in a lot of inconvenienced parents — administrators aren’t going to be making any rash decisions. Expect some late openings and a handful of closures, but you’ll have to set your alarm for 6 a.m. if you want any hard info. As of 8 p.m., Snowdaycalculator.com was calling for a 69% chance of some sort of school delays on Tuesday for Philadelphia.

Trash Pickup

If you live in Philadelphia and your trash pickup is normally on Mondays, it is supposed to be picked up on Tuesday thanks to the holiday and still will be, according to Streets Commissioner David Perri, who says that trash service is not canceled for Tuesday. “Only four inches of snow is expected,” he points out. “So we don’t need to convert the trash compactors into snow plows. We are canceling driveway collections this week, so if you normally put your collections out back, put them by the curb this week.” Due to the holiday, all Philadelphia trash pickup is a day behind.

SEPTA

While SEPTA hasn’t announced any widespread changes for Tuesday morning, there are some bus detours, and more could be coming. Check the SEPTA system status page for more info.

Road Conditions

PennDot and the Philadelphia Streets Department both say they’ll be out in full force, if necessary. That said, expect an icy commute in parts. Be careful out there.

Follow our Twitter traffic and weather list below for updates: