TOWAMENCIN – Two days later sidewalks were difficult to find, many roads were narrowed to about half their normal width, and mountains of snow bordered most parking lots and street corners. The Blizzard of 2016 was certainly one local residents will remember for a long time. It started late Friday evening and did not ease up until around 10pm on Saturday, and in the wake of this blizzard – a lot of work and plenty of snow.

Two days later, North Penn School District facilities crew were hard at work clearing sidewalks and parking lots of about 25 inches of snow, so schools could open on a two hour delay Tuesday morning. North Penn High School facilities worker Gene Serriani put plenty of time in over the last few days so this unexpected vacation wouldn’t last too long for students.

“Yesterday was about a 12 hour day and so far today about 7,” Serianni said from atop his John Deere 200CK loader.

Serianni is just one of many staff members around the district who have taken to front-end loaders and plows in an effort to clear the districts grounds over the last 72 hours. It is a long process that can be challenging to say the least.

“The hardest part is before the sun comes up when it is cold,” Serianni added. “At this point I’m not sure where they are going to put the rest of this snow,” he said in reference to the crew who was still at work late Monday afternoon.

Snow totals from the 2016 blizzard, which came less than a month after a 70 plus degree Christmas Eve, included the following:
Montgomeryville 25.5 Inches
Philadelphia International Airport 22.4 Inches
Collegeville 26.2 Inches

It was the fourth greatest snowfall in Philadelphia history, coming in short of 1996’s blizzard that dumped over 30 inches of snow at the airport. In the North Penn area those starved of true winter weather after record setting warmth in December were quickly reminded of what January and February can still have in the wait.