Bensalem, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro joined Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll at a PennDOT winter weather stockpile in Bucks County to provide an update on the Commonwealth’s ongoing response to Winter Storm Fern and personally thank the PennDOT crews working around the clock to keep Pennsylvanians safe.
The storm, which began over the weekend and stretched across 35 states, brought heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain to all 67 Pennsylvania counties, with snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour in some areas. Several regions experienced their snowiest day in decades, including Philadelphia, which saw its heaviest single-day snowfall since 2000, and Pittsburgh, which saw its heaviest since 2010.
“I want to thank all the PennDOT workers across this Commonwealth who have been out working during this storm. Our PennDOT teams do great work every single day and are, in many ways, unsung heroes in our communities,” said Governor Shapiro. “I especially want to thank Secretary Carroll for his leadership, as well as our teams at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and many others across the Commonwealth who have been working around the clock to prepare for this winter storm and keep Pennsylvanians safe.”
Ahead of the storm, Governor Shapiro signed an emergency disaster declaration to streamline operations, free up funding, and enable a faster response. The declaration authorized the transfer of up to $3 million in unused funds to PEMA for storm-related expenses, allowed Secretary Carroll to deploy all PennDOT personnel, equipment, and resources to clear state and federal highways, and permitted the Pennsylvania State Police to use personnel and resources as needed to ensure public safety.
Nearly 4,700 PennDOT workers operated more than 2,600 plow trucks and other equipment, with over 500,000 tons of salt stockpiled statewide. District 6, which covers Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, managed 182 plow trucks, 38 loader vehicles, 30 anti-icing trucks, and three graders, supported by 239 operators, 93 temporary operators, and 29 mechanics.
Governor Shapiro and Secretary Carroll thanked these frontline workers for their dedication, emphasizing the importance of keeping Pennsylvanians safe during extreme weather.
“What happened yesterday across Pennsylvania, and here in Bucks County, was a team win. PennDOT, PEMA, the Pennsylvania State Police, the public, the trucking community — everyone did their part to help us successfully deal with what was a very large winter storm,” said Secretary Carroll. “Governor Shapiro, the investment you made in PennDOT’s fleet allowed us to really ramp up the quality of our equipment statewide. We were ready and able to meet the needs of the public, and across Pennsylvania; the response to this storm was tremendous.”
Watch Governor Shapiro’s message to PennDOT workers here.
See what Pennsylvanians are reading and watching about the Shapiro Administration’s winter storm response and road safety efforts:
NBC 10: Gov. Shapiro gives update on winter storm response in Pa.
CBS 3: PennDOT officials, Gov. Josh Shapiro give update on Pennsylvania's winter storm response
WTAE: Gov. Shapiro thanks PennDOT workers after massive snowstorm
WGAL: Shapiro, PennDOT give winter storm response update
WTAJ: Governor Josh Shapiro praises “unsung heroes” after winter storm
Erie News Now: Governor Shapiro Declares Statewide Emergency for Weekend Snow Storm
Pocono Record: Shapiro declares state of emergency in Pa. ahead of major winter storm
ABC 27: Shapiro declares disaster emergency ahead of Pennsylvania’s winter storm
6abc: Pa. Gov. Shapiro signs disaster emergency: 'Stay off the roads if you can'