Windy and cold Friday in Philadelphia region with snow expected in Poconos. Here's the weather forecast.
The Philadelphia region is under a NEXT Weather Alert Friday because of rain, wind, cold temps and snow. Here's a breakdown of what to expect.
TODAY: Friday will be windy and cold with rain and snow showers by midday. Rain may mix with snow in the northwest suburbs. Snow showers are likely for the Lehigh Valley from midday into late afternoon. Heavy wet snow accumulation is possible in the highest elevations of the Poconos. Temperatures reach a high of 40, but it will feel like 32.
The area will start to dry out Friday night but will remain cold and windy with temperatures dropping to 38 degrees.
How much snow will we get in Philadelphia, the Poconos, Pa. suburbs?
We've issued a NEXT Weather Alert for Friday as the cold and wind settle in and snow starts to fall, especially in the Poconos which may get 4 to 8 inches. The snowfall will push southeast, making it as far as the Philadelphia area, although snow accumulations are not expected for the I-95 corridor.
Expect about 1 to 3 inches of snow in the Lehigh Valley, with major cities like Allentown and Bethlehem not getting much more than a coating to a slushy inch. Areas farther north where Lehigh and Northampton counties meet the Poconos could see between 2 and 4 inches.
"This morning was really windy. A little bit of snow, but it wasn't really sticking. And now it's really cold and raining. But I'm excited that it's colder here than the early months of the year so far," said Charlotte Bush-Vogel, a student at Lehigh University.
While the snow didn't stick to the roads, streets were slippery. But drivers said it was still easy to get around
"It's not bad. It gets its days. You just gotta know how to be focused on the road," Rodney Little said.
"It's cool so far. I was just Door-Dashing a little bit, but no problems. No hydroplaning or anything like that," James Pluviose said. "Hopefully it doesn't get worse. But we'll see."
PennDOT spokesperson Sean Brown said the agency had been preparing for this well before the season started.
"We can't pre-treat for a storm like this because if it starts out like rain, it will wash any of that away, but a storm like this, anything less than 3 inches, we're just going to lay down material, try and keep any snow from accumulating," Brown said.
Getting closer to Philadelphia, areas like Upper Bucks and Upper Montgomery counties and northern Chester County could get an inch or less.
In Philadelphia and the nearby north and west suburbs, we're mostly looking at cold rain showers starting around midday and likely impacting the evening commute. There's a chance we could see snow mixing in earlier, but accumulation looks highly unlikely.
Gusty winds making temps feel colder
Those who don't get snow will still get the feeling of winter, with bitter wind chills and snow showers likely even near the city. Wind gusts will be in the 20-30 mph range and peaking near 30 mph, especially in the early afternoon. The wind will ease a bit on Friday night.
When will it snow? Breaking down weather impacts
RAIN: Rain with snow mix likely Friday, mainly afternoon and evening for the Philadelphia area and much of South Jersey, Delaware and the Shore locations.
WIND AND COLD: Winds will likely gust to 30-35 mph in spots Friday, keeping the wind chill temps at or below freezing most of the day. The coldest daytime we've seen so far this season.
SNOW: Best chances began late Thursday night and continue through Friday afternoon. Accumulation will be highly elevation-dependent with as much as 4 to 8 inches of heavy wet snow in the highest spots across the Poconos. Falling snow or mix may lead to reduced visibility Friday afternoon near the city and its northwest suburbs, but with surface temperatures well above freezing, accumulation is not expected. Possible light accumulations on elevated surfaces across Lehigh Valley.
By Saturday, precipitation chances dwindle, but we can't rule out a shower. It's still quite windy with gusts up to 25 mph, and this could cause flight delays on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year ahead of Thanksgiving.
Calmer, more seasonable weather begins Sunday, and looking well ahead, it appears that another push of cold will arrive just in time for Thanksgiving.
Your NEXT Weather team will be monitoring the next few days very closely and we will provide updates with all new information to keep you prepared and protected.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Friday: NEXT Weather Alert. High of 40, low of 36.
Saturday: Sun, wind. High of 54, low of 38.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High of 56, low of 45.
Monday: Mild, sun. High of 61, low of 36.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High of 61, low of 46.
Wednesday: Colder. High of 49, low of 36.
Thursday: Rain likely. High of 44, low of 34.