Penn announced that it would have a delayed opening at 10 a.m. on Feb. 13 due to inclement winter weather.
All classes beginning before 10 a.m. were canceled as a result of the delayed opening, according to the Division for Public Safety announcement. Classes beginning at or after 10 a.m. continued as scheduled. The announcement said that essential University employees — including those in DPS, Penn Dining, and Facilities and Real Estate Services and all University of Pennsylvania Health System physicians and staff — were expected to report to work at their originally scheduled start time.
The delayed opening was announced as a UPennAlert at 5:25 a.m. and also announced through the University’s notification phone line and KYW News Radio. The announcement urged Penn community members to “please exercise caution and take your time in traveling to campus” and to use public transportation if available.
Drexel University announced on the evening of Feb. 12 that it would have a delayed opening at 10 a.m. on Feb. 13.
The National Weather Service Philadelphia wrote in a 1:50 p.m. post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that snow ended across the area as of 1 p.m., with sun expected later in the afternoon. The post stated that Philadelphia had received only 0.6 inches of snow.
Some towns in Philadelphia suburbs — particularly in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties — received seven to nine inches of snow during the day.
Prior to the storm, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that up to four inches of snow were expected in Philadelphia, including wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour. The Inquirer reported that the snow — which began in the Lehigh Valley shortly before 4 a.m and is expected to reach Philadelphia in the early morning hours of Feb. 13 — could bring down power lines in the Philadelphia area.
A 5:43 a.m. a post on X by Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management said that snow would begin shortly after 6 a.m. The OEM post encouraged individuals to “plan for extra travel time on your commute.”
CBS News previously reported that the majority of the Philadelphia region will be under a winter storm warning from midnight until 3 p.m. on Feb. 13.
Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation implemented vehicle restrictions and reduced speed limits on several Philadelphia-area highways during the storm. According to the Inquirer, regular speed limits were restored in the early afternoon hours of Feb. 13.
The School District of Philadelphia also announced it will operate on a two-hour delay on Tuesday compared to its usual schedule. School districts in multiple counties across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware will experience a combination of delayed openings, virtual instruction, and cancellations.
On Jan. 19, Penn suspended normal University operations due to winter weather — the first such suspension in nearly three years. The City of Philadelphia also declared a state of emergency at the time, and SEPTA advised that delays were expected later in the day.
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