It's the coldest day in 9 years

At 6:29 a.m., Monday went into the books as the coldest day in Philadelphia in nine years.

That's when the National Weather Service measured an air temperature of 3 degrees at the official Philadelphia International Airport/National Park monitoring station.

While it did not break the record for the date of 2 degrees set in 1888, it was the first time since January 2006 that the mercury had dipped so low.

It also was the coldest reading for a February since 1996. And it could get even colder later in the week, with a low of zero for the first time since 1994 possible on Friday.

Besides forcing people to bundle up or stay indoors, the severe cold is causing delays on SEPTA Regional Rail and resulted in the cancellation of at least two trains.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, citing the dangerously low temperatures, also decided to give elementary school students in Philadelphia the day off, joining their city public school counterparts who were off for the Presidents Day Holiday.

A wind chill advisory is in effect throughout the region.

Record lows in the meantime were set overnight in Atlantic City, Trenton and Wilmington, according to the weather service.

Atlantic City's low of 2 degrees broke a 127-year-old record. The previous record low for Feb. 16 was 3 degrees, set in 1888.

In Trenton, the mercury dropped to 1 degree, tying the record for the date, also set in 1888.

Wilmington also tied its coldest Feb. 16 on record with a low of 2 degrees, first set in 1943.

Authorities in Ocean County in the meantime are investigating the death of a woman who was found in the snow over the weekend.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said 66-year-old Olivia Benito, was found face down and unresponsive on the ground near a neighbor's car in Lakewood.

Benito and her neighbor had gone to a benefit event together Saturday evening and returned to the neighbor's home on Davids Court at about midnight. Benito then left to walk to her home, two houses away, but the neighbor found the woman deceased outside in the snow on Sunday morning, prosecutors said.

Snow is expected to start falling Monday night, with Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs projected to get from three to four inches while parts of South Jersey could end up with four to six inches by the time the storm ends Tuesday.

Joseph Gambardello is an Inquirer staff writer.

Emily Babay is a Philly.com staff writer.