EWR is at least functional in bad weather, but I don't know what it is about ATC in PHL, they just get all messed up all the time and cannot unwind themselves. Add to the fact that it's not really anyone's hub and there just is not great direct service, so that inevitably makes you miss connecting flights. A few years ago, I missed 4 flights in a row that I was supposed to connect with out of PHL, so I just started driving to EWR, LGA or JFK to catch a direct flight to wherever I needed to go. I once drove to BWI out of sheer desperation to get out of town.