The city of Philadelphia will be under a snow emergency declaration starting on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 9 p.m. and lasting through 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. Here’s how the city if preparing for this weekend’s storm: Philly crews pre-treating roads The Philadelphia Streets Department has started the process of treating major roads in the city with brine before the storm starts. Once the storm begins, hundreds of trucks, loaders and excavators will be hitting the neighborhoods to work on clearing away the snowfall. At the end of the storm, snow will be picked up and brought to areas where it can be stored. The city also plans to use a snow melting machine to assist. How to track snow removal in the city Philadelphia officials have unveiled an interactive map that shows where snow plows are working to clear the snow. Click here to track the snow plows. When do I need to clear my sidewalk? All property owners need to clear a 36 inch pathway on sidewalks within six hours after the snow stops falling. Any property owners who do not clear their sidewalk could be faced with a $1,000 fine. Enhanced Code Blue declared for Philly Starting at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, the city’s Emergency Operations Center will be activated. Over a dozen warming centers will be available for all residents in Philadelphia during the storm. These warming centers are open to everyone. These include Free Library of Philadelphia locations: Bustleton Library at 10199 Bustleton Avenue Haddington Library at 446 North 65th Street Kensington Library at 104 West Dauphin Street Lillian Marrero Library at 601 West Lehigh Avenue  Logan Library at 1333 Wagner Avenue Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library at 125 South 52nd Street Nicetown-Tioga Library at 3720 North Broad Street Northeast Regional Library at 2228 Cottman Avenue Queen Memorial Library at 1201 South 23rd Street Walnut Street West Library at 201 South 40th Street If you see someone living or sleeping outside during the extreme cold and storm, please call 215-232-1984 to alert the Office of Homeless Services. Click here for more information on warming centers. A reminder for everyone: Leaving dogs outside in extreme cold weather without proper shelter could lead to a $500. If you see a dog outside for an extended period of time, please call the ACCT Philly hotline at 267-385-3800, extension 1.  Parking restrictions in Philadelphia Everyone must move their vehicles off of marked snow emergency routes. Check where your parked to make sure there are no signs that read “SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTE” in white letters on a red background. Any cars that are parked on these routes will be ticketed or towed so crews can clear the streets. Drivers are reminded to not park near the corner of the street because they could block snow plows from turning. The Philadelphia Parking Authority is offering a flat 24-hour parking rate of $5 at their lots: AutoPark at Independence Mall at 5th and Market streets  AutoPark at Jefferson at 10th and Ludlow streets  AutoPark at the Fashion District at 10th and Filbert streets  AutoPark at Old City at 2nd and Sansom streets Parkade on 8th at 801 Filbert Street  To redeem the $5 discount, you must bring your parking ticket to the PPA Management Office at each garage to pay. If you vehicle gets towed during the snow emergency, you can call 215-686-SNOW or click here. When will trash be picked up? Trash collection is being halted for one day because of the storm. No trash or recycling will be picked up on Monday, Jan. 26 so collections are expected to be delayed by one day for the rest of the week. Residents are being asked to be patient with the collection crews as they work to make their way through the expected snow and ice. If you need to get rid of your trash sooner, you can bring it to one of the city’s six sanitation convenience centers between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, click here. Is school open during the storm in Philadelphia? The School District of Philadelphia says that all public schools in the city will be closed on Monday, Jan. 26. All after school activities have been canceled for Monday as well. Students were sent home with laptops in order to complete their assigned school work. Guidance to avoid frozen pipes during extreme cold Even after the snow storm is over, the forecast is calling for a full week of very cold temperatures. These extreme conditions could lead to pipes freezing or bursting in homes. If you have a sudden loss of water or suspect a leak, city officials say to check with your neighbors who are nearby. If no other home near yours has a lack of water, you should call a plumber right away. Tips to avoid frozen pipes: Let a faucet trickle overnight. Keep the area around the water meter above 40 degrees. Cover drafty or cracked windows that are near exposed pipes. Check faucets for water flow before you go to sleep and again when you wake up. If you suspect a gas leak or have a gas-related emergency, a 24 hour hotline will be open to report issues at 215-235-1212. Alert PECO of a power outage by texting “ADDOUTAGE” to 697326 or by clicking here. Stay informed during the storm Philadelphia residents can sign up for the city’s emergency alert system for free from ReadyPhiladelphia. To sign up: Text “READYPHILA” to 888-777 Or visit the Office of Emergency Management’s website by clicking here. ...read more read less