Storm blankets region with snow, wintry mix

January 21, 2012 (WPVI) -- After a warmer than usual winter thus far, the most significant snowfall of the season finally blanketed the region.

The first flakes arrived, as projected, just after midnight Saturday.

There were different levels of precipitation falling across the area. The Lehigh Valley is expected to get plummeted with the most snow - about 3-6 inches.

Philadelphia and the Northwest suburbs will get approximately 1-3 inches while residents in Delaware and South Jersey are waking up to a wintry mix.

Throughout the morning, much of the snow turned to freezing rain and sleet with lingering showers in the afternoon.

Unlike much of the area, that switch over didn't occur in Allentown.

Plows hit major roadways before dawn but once the sun came up and people had places to go, many road surfaces were snow-covered again.

Marla Walczak had to get to work.

"As long as you take it slow and give enough room it's not too bad," she said.

Though Thomas MacKenzie's car had been sitting outside all night while he worked, it took just moments for him to brush it off.

He echoed the sentiment of many throughout the Lehigh Valley that all things considered, the roads weren't too bad.

"The plows were out by 3:00 a.m. They came in for coffee then went to plow the main roads," said MacKenzie.

Over in Doylestown, while adults hit the roadways, children hit the backyard for a chance to play in the snow.

5-year-old Ella Schnitzler shrieked sounds of delight when she awoke to find the winter wonderland outside her window.

"She's having a blast. She's been giggling since she got up this morning because of the snow," said her mom Krista.

The hill outside the Mercer Museum has always been a popular spot for children in the snow.

4-year-old Jordan Pollner enjoyed having fun there with her dad.

"We had her out a little bit when she was 3-years-old, when we had all that snow. This is the first time I think she's really gone sledding in any meaningful way," said Dan Pollner.

It wasn't just the humans having fun in the snow. Some four-footed friends like Cody pranced around in the falling flakes.

"He loves the snow. He's an Australian Shepherd and he is just having a ball," said owner Ginny McHugh.

While it's the first real snowfall of the season, many agree that it proved to be a far cry from the rare snowstorm that rocked the East Coast back in October.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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pennsylvania, bucks county, doylestown, lehigh county, allentown, new jersey, delaware, severe weather, snow, local/state

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