Forecasters and city officials are warning motorists to be careful of "black ice" - roadways that look wet but are covered in ice.
Last night, the city's budget director, Steve Agostini, was forecasting a trip to City Council in April to pay for repeated snow removal in what's expected to be at least three blizzards in a one-year budget.
The 23.3-inch snowfall on Dec. 19 cost the city a cool $3.5 million, and Philadelphia International Airport, which has a separate source of revenue, about $3.3 million, for a total of $6.8 million.
Agostini said that he expects the weekend blizzard to match that cost, and possibly another $6.8 million for an expected two-day snowfall starting tomorrow that could reach 12 inches.
Snow-removal costs could reach a high of $20 million from the city and airport from the three storms, the budget director speculated. More than half the cost is picked up by taxpayers.
And Agostini said that he has a $6 million "placeholder" in the current budget for snow removal, after three years of little snow.
So, he's keeping his fingers crossed for the next six to eight weeks, in case Mother Nature presents more white stuff.
Because the airport has its own funding stream, taxpayers don't have to cough up the money to clear the 32 million square feet of runways, taxiways and aprons for planes to take off or land, or the roadway system, sidewalks or parking lots.
Mayor Nutter was outdoors yesterday shoveling out residents in Mayfair, where he thanked Philadelphians for not dumping snow in the streets and city employees for working around the clock to remove the snow.
The city is continuing to salt, plow and remove snow today. If cars were towed, residents can call 215-686-SNOW to locate them.
