Residents dig out after nor'easter dumps more than 2 feet of snow in Allentown

Maggie Kent Image
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Residents dig out after nor'easter dumps more than 2 feet of snow in Allentown
Clearing snow can be extremely grueling, especially when you're dealing with more than 2 feet of fallen flakes - cue the snowblower.

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The nor'easter storm dumped over 27 inches of snow in Allentown, Pennsylvania, but residents are resilient and ready to dig out.

Clearing snow can be extremely grueling, especially when you're dealing with more than 2 feet of fallen flakes - cue the snowblower.

"I didn't use it for two years before this storm," said Rob Clauss, who was happy to have a snowblower on Tuesday.

RELATED: Communities in Bucks and Lehigh counties see nearly two feet of snow following nor'easter

Along SW 17th Street, neighbors were working hard.

"The trees are so pretty and everything. I tried taking pictures this morning, but it didn't come out too good. Doesn't capture the essence," said Ellen Ortt.

In Allentown, the main streets show blacktop.

PennDot District 5 covers the Lehigh Valley and deployed more than 200 plows at the height of the storm. Crews work 12-hour shifts to clear the roads, but on Tuesday night, the focus is salt.

RELATED: How much snow has fallen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware

"Especially overnight the temperatures will be below freezing so we want to make sure we salt the icy spots so they don't cause any issues," said PennDOT Representative, Ron Young.

In Whitehall, plows cleared the roads but the mounds of leftover snow left homeowners searching for their sidewalk.

"We didn't know where the border was so I actually started shoveling the lawn. Then I switched over and shoveled the sidewalk," said Shalah Ramadan. "I have my son and his friends to help. Our neighbors have been trying to work together with snow blowers and broken shovels. We're getting it done little by little."