With the first day of spring looking more like a mid-winter wonderland, many parents are bracing for what could become a difficult start to summer.

At least three local school districts have already extended the academic year because of snow days. Philadelphia, West Chester and North Penn school districts confirmed to NBC10 that classes will creep into mid-June thanks to the ongoing storms.

In a letter sent to parents, West Chester Area School District Superintendent Dr. James Scanlon acknowledged the inconvenience to parents but said that making up school days is no easy feat.

In previous years, the school board automatically listed June 18 as the last day. If no snow days were needed, officials would wrap up classes five days early. But “people complained about this,” Scanlon said.

Then, the school district started scheduling a full week for spring break and taking away make-up days as needed.

But “people complained because it cut into their vacation plans.”

And so on.

In short, Scanlon asked parents to be patient while the West Chester school district evaluates conditions and determines make-up days based on what makes the most sense.

“We’ll be out driving roads, checking forecasts, and seeing how our snow crews are doing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia schools are fresh out of snow days as of Wednesday, spokesman Lee Whack told NBC10. That school district automatically builds five snow days into their calendar year, but ran out of them as a fourth nor’easter pounded the region.

Thanks to the late winter storm, Philadelphia public schools will get out on June 13. That could change, however, depending on what mother nature has in store for the rest of the academic year.

NBC10 has a complete list of school closures. Click here to see if your school has been impacted.

Here are six things that may help keep you and your loved ones safe in a snowstorm.

People in South Jersey woke up to a fresh layer of snow that came down overnight. In places like Glassboro residents are dealing with power outages.

After dumping more than a foot of snow on parts of the region, the fourth nor'easter of the month exited our area Thursday morning leaving plenty of clean up behind.

The major winter storm that battered our area for more than 24 hours completely moved out of South Jersey Thursday morning.

The storm left lots of snow in its wake. On Wednesday, the snow totals ranged from nearly a foot and a half in the Lehigh Valley to more than a foot in parts of Montgomery County to nearly a foot in South Jersey to several inches in much of Delaware. Check here for snow totals across the area.

In Philadelphia there was a range of 5 to 8 inches of snow.

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After more snow fell overnight, the final totals will not be available until Thursday afternoon.

The storm also caused thousands of power outages, the majority being in South Jersey, as well as some coastal flooding.

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SEPTA had service suspended on a handful of bus lines Thursday morning but they resumed normal Regional Rail service. New Jersey Transit suspended service on its Atlantic City Rail Line due to signal problems.

The snow was heavy and wet. Sleet compacted the snow, making it strenuous to shovel. Those with heart conditions or back troubles should avoid shoveling in the morning. 

As people dig out Thursday, the snow should start to melt as we see partly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 40s.

Conditions should be partly sunny and in the low 40s for the next few days. Then we could see more snow Sunday. Check with NBC10 and the app for more details as Sunday draws closer.

Wednesday's storm made travel treacherous for anyone who ventured onto roadways Wednesday. By 10 a.m., poor conditions had already led to a tractor-trailer crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a police-involved crash on I-95 in Philadelphia.

Most malls, museums, schools and offices throughout the region were closed for most of the day.

Mass cancellations were reported for air, rail, and transit travel. About 700 flights heading to and leaving from Philadelphia International Airport were canceled Wednesday. Some flights cancellations and delays remained Thursday.

A First Alert went into effect noon Tuesday and lasted until late Wednesday night. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning lasting from Tuesday night through early Thursday.

Numerous towns and cities declared snow emergencies in preparation of the storm. The entire State of New Jersey was also under a State of Emergency.

The nor'easter — the fourth this month and the one that arrived on the first day of spring — struck in two parts. 

The first wave of the nor'easter doused the region Tuesday morning with a wintry mix of sleet and rain. There was a lull late Tuesday night. But the storm slowly ramped up around midday Wednesday as the nor'easter intensified off-shore.

Colder temperatures, coupled with heavy snow bands, allowed the snow to accumulate on roads and sidewalks.

Schools in the Philadelphia suburbs dismissed early Tuesday and schools in both the Philadelphia Archdiocese and Philadelphia School District were closed Wednesday. They will open on a two-hour delay Thursday. Sign up for free school closing alerts here.

About 452,000 smoke detectors sold at Home Depot, Walmart and other stores nationwide are being recalled after the company discovered the device may fail to alert consumers of smoke, the company said Wednesday.

The Kidde company, which sold the detectors in the U.S. and Canada, was recalling models PI2010 and PI9010 after a yellow cap was left on some alarms, possibly preventing the device from working. The yellow cap covers one of two smoke sensors, the company said. If the sensors are affected, homeowners may not be alerted to a fire.

The model and date are located on the back of the alarm.

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Consumers were advised to remove the alarm to look for the presence of a yellow cap, and if the alarm has one, to contact Kidde customer service to get instructions on ordering a new one. You can call 833-551-7739 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

There has been one report of a faulty alarm, the company said. No injuries related to the recalled products have been reported.

The potentially defective alarms were sold September 2016 through January 2018, the company said.

Get more information here.

Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY 

Delco Rep. Won't Seek Re-Election Amid Abuse Allegations: Embattled Pennsylvania State Rep. Nick Miccarelli is dropping out of his re-election bid just one day after declaring his intent to run. His announcement comes on the heels of allegations by two women, one who claims that he threatened to kill her and another who said the Delaware County Republican forced her to have sex with him after they broke up. “My decision not to seek re-election should in no way be misconstrued by the public or misrepresented by the media as any admission of wrongdoing on my part,” Miccarelli said in a statement. “I intend to continue to work to clear my good name and reputation and put this current controversial situation behind me, once and for all.” One of Micarrelli’s accusers is a state official and the other is a political consultant.

• MORE ON THE ALLEGATIONS
  

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Officials ID Man Killed in Princeton Standoff: Authorities identified the man killed by police after an armed standoff at a restaurant near Princeton University. Officials said Wednesday that 56-year-old Scott Mielentz most recently lived in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, but was previously a Newtown, Pennsylvania, resident. Other details about the shooting were not available. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says no one else was injured Tuesday at the Panera Bread restaurant across from Princeton's campus. It was not clear what sparked the roughly five-hour standoff that started around 10 a.m. when the armed man allegedly entered the establishment, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. The standoff ended shortly before 3 p.m.

• MORE ON THE STANDOFF
  

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

The last bit of snow is expected to move out early Thursday morning. Temperatures are expected to hit the 40s with plenty of sunshine on Thursday. Friday and Saturday are expected to be partly sunny with temperatures in the 40s. Sunday is also expected to be partly sunny most of the day but there is a chance of a shower in the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday are expected to be partly sunny with temperatures nearing 50 degrees. Wednesday could see some rain but temperatures are expected to remain in the 50s.  Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

Flights Canceled, Trains Suspended During Storm: More than half of all flights at the Philadelphia International Airport were canceled Wednesday. Dozens of Amtrak's scheduled trains along the Northeast Corridor line were also canceled. Crashes on Interstates 95 and 76 shut down major highways as well. And that's what happened before heavy snow arrived Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia. Officials at the airport and with the region's major transit agencies told travelers unlucky enough to have plans during the storm to monitor their arrangements. Changes will eventually be posted, they said. "Customers will be re-accommodated on trains with similar departure times so please check on Amtrak.com or your smartphone app," a statement from Amtrak said. "For customers looking to change reservations for travel during the modified schedule, Amtrak will waive the change fee." Amtrak will continue to run on a modified schedule Thursday.

• MORE ON THE STORM
  

AROUND THE WORLD

Austin Bombing Suspects Recording Considered 'Confession': Austin police have discovered a 25-minute recording on a cellphone found with bombing suspect Mark Conditt and Austin Police Chief Brian Manley says he considers it a "confession." Manley says at a news conference that Conditt talks on the recording in great detail about the differences among the bombs he built. He says that the tape is "the outcry of a very challenged young man." Officials say the 23-year-old Conditt blew himself up in his vehicle overnight as authorities closed in on him. Teams working inside the Austin-area home of suspected bomber Conditt have ordered an evacuation of the surrounding six blocks after finding a "treasure trove" of evidence Wednesday, including homemade explosives. Officials have not said specifically what type of explosives were inside the 23-year-old man's Pflugerville home, which has been compared to a bomb-making factory, but did confirm explosives experts with the ATF and FBI were working to safely remove and dispose of the homemade devices and bomb-making material.

• MORE ON THE BOMBINGS
  

That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out. 

People are waking up Thursday with shovels ready to start clearing sidewalks and cars. Chestnut Hill was just one neighborhood hit with several inches of snow.

Firefighters found someone dead in a burning hotel room at the USA Inn and Suites in Morgantown, Berks County early Thursday.

To help residents and emergency personnel stay connected after this week's nor'easter, Comcast has opened up access to hundreds of Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots across the Philadelphia region to anyone who needs them, including non-Xfinity customers, for free.

People in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware can immediately benefit from Wi-Fi access courtesy of Comcast, the parent company of NBC Universal and NBC10.

For a map of the Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots, residents can visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once in range of a hotspot, select the "xfinitywifi" network name int he list of available hotspots and then launch a browser. Xfinity customers can sign in with their usernames and passwords. Non-Xfinity customers should visit the "Not an Xfinity Internet Customer" section on the sign-in page to get started.

The hotspots will remain open through Monday morning, March 26.

People will descend on Philadelphia for Saturday’s March for Our Lives and that means congestion, road closures and parking restrictions.

There will be parking restrictions, road closures and public transit changes in Old City and Penn's Landing during the march and rally.

The march, part of a nationwide effort calling for stricter gun control in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting, starts at 10 a.m. in front of Independence Hall in Old City and makes its way to Lombard Circle at Penn’s Landing where a rally will take place at 11:30 a.m., according to organizers and the City.

People are expected to begin gathering at Independence National Historical Park (5th and Market streets) around 8 a.m. 

The march goes eastbound on Market Street to Front Street. It will then go southbound on Front Street to Dock Street then eastbound on Dock Street to Columbus Boulevard. The march will finally go southbound on Columbus to Lombard Circle.

The Penn’s Landing event is expected to wrap up by 2 p.m., the City said.

“Delays can be expected during the demonstration,” the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office said in a news release. “Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes, and allow for extra driving time in areas near the event.”

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

SEPTA's Market-Frankford subway and Regional Rail lines (to Jefferson Station) can be used to get the march without having to worry about parking. PATCO service can also get people from South Jersey close to the march.

SEPTA bus routes that normally run along the route will be detoured during the march. Check SEPTA’s System Status page for details.

STREET CLOSURES

The following streets will be closed starting at 6 a.m. until about 6 p.m. Saturday:

• Columbus Blvd. from Dock Street to Lombard Circle

- Local access will be maintained to the parking lots on the east (river) side of Columbus Blvd., accessible via Lombard Circle. Motorists wishing to access these lots must travel northbound on Columbus Blvd.

- Local access will be maintained to the I-95 northbound on ramp at Lombard Circle, accessible via northbound Columbus Blvd.

- Local access will be maintained to the Hilton Penn’s Landing, accessible via Dock Street and southbound Columbus Blvd.

The following streets will be closed starting at 8 a.m. until about 11 a.m. Saturday:

• 500 block of Market Street
• 5th Street from Market to Arch streets

All the other impacted streets will be reopened as the march progresses, the mayor’s office said.

PARKING RESTRICTIONS:

There will be "Temporary No Parking" signs posted from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday:

• N. 6th Street from Market Street to Arch Street (East Side)
• N. 5th Street from Market Street to Arch Street (East Side)
• Market Street from 5th Street to Front Street (Both Sides)
• Front Street from Market Street to Dock Street (Both Sides)
• Dock Street from Front Street to Columbus Blvd. (Both Sides)
• Columbus Blvd. from Dock Street to Lombard Circle (Both Sides)

Vehicles parked in these locations during posted hours will be relocated, the City said.

The mayor’s office also asked people to not double park as it is illegal and can cause traffic congestion.

OTHER TIPS

The city warned people to expect congestion in Old City and Penn’s Landing during the march and rally.

The march will be a “No-Drone Zone.”

The City asked people to not leave any bags unattended. If you see something suspicious you are urged to call 911.

Philadelphia lists more tips on its Special Event Safety Guide.

Shoppers who arrived at Toy R Us stores across the country for the toy chains liquidation sales were met with signs announcing that it had been postponed "due to circumstances beyond our control."

The liquidation sale was expected to begin Thursday after the company announced last week that it was shuttering its U.S. operations, jeopardizing the jobs of some 30,000 employees and bringing to end a 70-year run for a chain known to generations of children and parents for its sprawling stores and Geoffrey the giraffe mascot.

Customers looking for a bargain at one of the chain's remaining 740 U.S. stores will now have to wait a little longer to shop the liquidation sales.

Amanda Cacialli arrived at the Toys R Us store in Johnston City, New York, at 9:30 a.m. ET Thursday hoping to score some merchandise at discount prices. She was instead met with a sign that said "Liquidation Sales Will NOT Start Today as Originally Scheduled."

"I'm very upset," she told NBC. "There are lots of people here upset." 

Similar signs were posted at Toys R Us stores around the country, according to social media posts. One Twitter user told NBC employees at a Toys R Us store in Ocala, Florida, said they didn't know when the sales would start.

A person familiar with the matter said the liquidation sales were were delayed due to unforeseen circumstances and were likely to start on Friday. The person did not say what those circumstances are.

An email request for comment from Toys R Us was not immediately answered. 

The New Jersey-based retailer, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2017, announced earlier this year that it planned to close 182 stores, citing increased competition and a shift in customers moving away from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to shopping online for the decision.

But after Toys R Us was unable to successfully reorganize, it decided it had to liquidate and announced last week that it would begin going-out-of-business sales Thursday and hope to complete those by the end of June 2018.

Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported that toy company executive Isaac Larian says he and other investors have pledged $200 million in financing and hope to raise more in crowdfunding in a bid to save potentially more than half of the 735 Toys R Us stores that will go dark in bankruptcy proceedings.

Pennsylvania State Police say a woman has confessed to being behind the wheel in a hit-and-run crash that left a father of four dead along Interstate 95 last year.

Tia Jones surrendered in Delaware County Thursday on accident involving death while not licensed charges in relation to the Dec. 16 death of Ronald Williams along Interstate 95 in Chester.

She said nothing as she entered and left court. She is being held on $250,000 bail.

Jones was driving on a suspended license at the time, police said. She confessed to the deadly crash, police said.

The vehicle, a 2015 Volkswagen Passat, was located Sunday near State Route 9 and Hamburg Road in New Castle County, Delaware. Jones, a mother, is from New Castle, Delaware.

Williams, 46, of Chester, had parked his vehicle on the Highland Avenue Exit off-ramp on southbound I-95 when he got out for an unknown reason. He was then struck by the Passat and the driver continued south on I-95 toward Delaware.

Williams died from his injuries. 

Williams, known by his friends as "Peabody," was a popular figure in his community and a father of three sons and one daughter.

An autopsy is being performed Thursday on Mark Dombroski, the St. Joseph's University men's rugby player found dead in Bermuda earlier this week.

A spokesman for the Bermuda Police Service tells NBC10 that the independent forensic pathologist flown to the British island territory to determine what led to Dombroski's death should make a conclusion by Friday.

The 19-year-old St. Joe's freshman from Media, Pennsylvania, disappeared early Sunday after leaving a bar. He was visiting Bermuda along with the rugby team to play in a tournament.

His family reported him missing the next day after he failed to show up for a flight back to Philadelphia. Dozens of police, islanders, and Dombroski's family scoured the island searching for the teen.

Then, Monday afternoon, his body was discovered at the bottom of an empty moat on the grounds of a defunct colonial-era fort. Police said the bottom of the moat was a significant drop from ground level.

Investigators have not ruled out foul play, but have stopped short of calling his death a homicide. They said Tuesday that he was not tied up as had been reported on social media.

Dombroski's parents and brothers remain in Bermuda as the investigation continues.

After Wednesday's winter storm gripped our region, thousands are still without power. Now, those people could be waiting days until their power is restored.

The Villanova Wildcats have made it to Boston and they are preparing to take on West Virginia. NBC10's Keith Jones, perhaps Villanova's biggest fan, headed to Boston to catch up with the team.

Ahead of the Eagles Austim Challenge, NBC10 is taking a closer look at what living with autism is like. Now, a new program at Jefferson Hospital is aiming to meet the physical needs of autistic children.

Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program is expanding into a second phase even as the first phase struggles to get off the ground.

The Department of Health announced Thursday it will open a new round of applications for additional dispensaries and growers/processors early next month.

Thirteen permits will be available for growers and processors, and 23 will be open to dispensaries.

Nine of those dispensaries could come to the Philadelphia region, according to the Department of Health.

This next phase will also include permits for so-called clinical registrants, defined as accredited hospitals and medical schools interested in conducting research on marijuana.

Philadelphia’s own Thomas Jefferson University intends to become an "academic clinical research center" under Chapter 20 of the medical marijuana law, the school confirmed to NBC10.

The university got a head start in 2016 when it received a $3 million donation from Australian philanthropists Barry and Joy Lambert, whose grandchild suffers from a rare and severe form of epilepsy.

Their money helped to found Jefferson’s Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp, which conducts clinical research on marijuana and provides educational resources for doctors, educators and even lawmakers.

To date, Pennsylvania is the only state to introduce a research component into its marijuana program. Ohio and Florida have explored similar arrangements, but nothing has been written into law yet.

“This could really put Pennsylvania into the forefront of this whole controversial and challenging area,” Dr. Charles Pollack, director of the Lambert Center, told NBC10 in an interview last spring.

Penn Medicine, Drexel University and the University of the Sciences are all interested in pursuing research options, the schools confirmed to NBC10.

Earlier this week, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine got a jump start and announced its intention to join the green rush.

“We believe that the research will be of great importance in determining the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis products in treating specific diseases,” the University of Pittsburgh said in a statement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health could not say how many research applicants it expects to receive in this second phase. However, “theoretically, there is no limit,” a spokesperson said.

The rapid expansion of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program into the research realm comes at a time when dispensaries are still struggling to become fully operational.

Currently, there are only two dispensaries close to Philadelphia and neither is located in the city. Keystone Canna Remedies is located in Montgomery County and TerraVida Holistic Center in Bucks County.

Because of high demand, both businesses ran out of products shortly after opening to the public. Keystone temporarily closed its doors because of limited supply and TerraVida nearly sold out of inventory its first week.

“It’s been unbelievably insane,” TerraVida owner Chris Visco said. “It’s also been the most rewarding experience of my life.”

On an average day, up to 40 people cram into TerraVida’s waiting room, Visco said. Her dispensary has already served more than 1,850 patients, she said.

But out of her first 27 days open, TerraVida was only fully stocked half of that time.

Supplies are likely to increase now that additional cultivators are operational. When the medical cannabis program first debuted in February, only Cresco Yeltrah provided product to the entire state.

And that could change the price of marijuana, as well. Within the first month, some patients paid up to $1,000 for medicine, according to Philly 420’s Chris Goldstein.

When asked if price would be factored into phase two, the Office of Medical Marijuana told NBC10 the program will remain “market driven.”

“We will continue to monitor pricing,” John Collins, director of the Office of Medical Marijuana, said.

In the meantime, he recommends patients calling dispensaries before making the drive.

A home in Long Beach Island burst into flames not long after the latest winter storm, and the flooded roads made it even harder for crews to get to the scene. 

Thursday brought plenty of sunshine to our region, and that sun helped melt Wednesday's snow. But, the melting snow could refreeze overnight causing some icy spots.

The shovels, salt, and windshield scrapers were all out on Thursday as the cleanup after Wednesday's winter storm continued. And some areas in our region will be cleaning that snow up for days.