Latest Weather: 4-8" Of Snow Expected To Fall, Starting Overnight
By Kate Bilo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It's another tricky storm in what has been a tricky winter so far, but this one seems to have pretty decent consensus across the board -- with a few wild cards!
Steady rain across the area this evening will continue until after midnight, when it will start to change over to snow from north to south. The transition will be pretty speedy for many of us - a quick mix with sleet and then over to snow, likely by around 2 a.m. in the city, a bit earlier to the north.
The snow will fall steadily during the early morning hours and gradually shift from north to south, meaning if you're in the north and west suburbs, your heaviest snow will be overnight and early morning, while areas south of the city may have a slower changeover and see the steadiest snow during the mid-morning. The areas where the precip holds on longest as straight snow will see the highest amounts, and that bulls-eye looks to be areas just to the south and east of Philadelphia. On the coast, the changeover may be a bit more lethargic, which could limit things a bit, and snow may end earlier to the north, again cutting into the totals.
We are still forecasting a general 4-8" around the greater Philadelphia area, with the best chance of those 8" totals being in areas just south and east of the city (including parts of Salem, Cumberland, Kent and New Castle counties).
Snow will begin to taper by noon and should clear the city around 1-2 p.m., moving off the coast around 5 p.m. Snow may melt on contact at first but then should quickly pile up on the roads, leading to hazardous travel through the day Thursday.
Temperatures then plummet into the single-digits Thursday night into Friday, potentially breaking the record of 10 degrees from 1978, and if you like the looks of the snow, expect it to stick around into the weekend - highs will stay in the 20's all day Friday with potentially another record-breaking night Friday night!
A little good news for your Wednesday: once we hit Saturday, we're looking at a pattern change. Temperatures will be moderating back to the 40's this weekend, with potentially a few 50's into next week!