'It's a solid ice wall': Philadelphia residents still trying to dig out from snow

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Icy, frozen piles of snow are still clogging streets across Philadelphia. Residents and city crews worked to dig out from the weekend storm.

"For the first time ever, there's open parking on this street, but it's because nobody can get through here," said Nathan Fitch of South Philadelphia.

On many streets, every step came with a crunch as cars attempted to navigate the rutted, icy surface.

"It's just a work in progress. It's a work in progress. And we're going to be getting more, so we can't get too comfortable," said Ramses Groves of North Philadelphia.

Along 7th Street and Lehigh Avenue, snow removal looked like a choreographed dance. A backhoe loaded snow into a front loader, which then dumped it into a waiting truck. The process repeated over and over as crews tried to clear the neighborhood.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Streets Department used a snow melting machine to liquefy more than 1,500 tons of snow. The machine was on loan from Philadelphia International Airport and has since been returned.

In South Philadelphia, shovels slowly get the job done. Lou Liberati chipped away at the ice.

"It's a solid ice wall. It's like Game of Thrones," he said.

Percy Street was flanked with snowbanks on both sides after plows passed through the larger streets.

"They come and do the main streets, then you're boxed in, it puts up a brick wall pretty much," Liberati said. "I know people who don't plan on moving their cars for days."