Snow squall leads to icy roads, multiple crashes in Philly on New Year's Day

An early morning snow squall led to dangerous road conditions and crashes throughout the Philadelphia area on New Year’s Day.

According to the National Weather Service, snow squalls are intense but quick periods of moderate to heavy snowfall accompanied by gusty winds that reduce visibilities and lead to whiteout conditions on roads.

A fast-moving cold front brought a snow squall to the Philadelphia area around 5 a.m. on Thursday. NBC10’s Neil Fischer captured footage of the snow squall hitting South Philadelphia.

While the system quickly moved out, it left behind icy road conditions that continued through the day.

Police said a 21-year-old man was driving on G Street and East Wyoming Avenue at 6:19 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle due to the snow and ice on the road. He then crashed into a utility pole.

The driver and his two passengers — a woman in her 20s and a 17-year-old boy — were all taken to the hospital. The driver and woman were both placed in critical condition while the teen boy is stable, police said.

The squall also left snow-covered streets throughout Philadelphia including Bells Mill Road in the city’s Andorra neighborhood where a driver lost control and crashed into the back of the truck. NBC10 witnessed the crash as it happened. No one was seriously injured.

Another crash was reported along an icy road on the 3100 block of Aramingo Avenue around 11 a.m.

Temperatures continued to drop during the day and stayed below freezing with winds gusting up to 35 mph that made it feel like the teens.

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