Philadelphia has chance to have record highs on Wednesday. Here's the full forecast.
The Philadelphia region is chasing a record high temperature on Wednesday after tying a record Tuesday for the warmest presidential Election Day ever recorded at 76 degrees.
Our forecast is 80 degrees, which is over 20 degrees above average. The record high is 79 degrees, set in 1948.
If we hit 80, it would be the second latest 80-degree day on record, the latest being Nov. 15, 1993, when we got to 81. The most recent 80-degree November day was on Nov. 4, 2015. We've only reached the 80 mark in November 11 times in Philadelphia history, and today could be No. 12.
We started the month of November in the 80s, reaching a high of 81 last Friday. Only two Novembers in Philadelphia history have had multiple 80-degree days — November 1974 had three, and November 1950 recorded two days at or above 80. The takeaway? This kind of warmth in November is very unusual.
When will it rain again in the Philadelphia region?
We are still in a record stretch of dry weather, with almost all of the region experiencing drought conditions. About 77% of the region is under severe drought conditions after more than a month without measurable rain.
Another weak front crosses the region Wednesday evening into Thursday with spotty showers possible south of the city through midday Thursday. There is a tiny chance it could deliver the 0.01 inches of rain required to end our record dry streak, but it is more likely to fizzle just like the past four fronts, leaving us dry.
Friday temperatures drop to the 60s under mostly sunny skies, and nice weather will be with us into the weekend. But that may change Sunday. A more organized system will take aim at the area and Sunday, and it's looking like an unsettled day with our first real chance for measurable rain in over a month.
However, as has been the case over the past two months, the forecast models start out aggressive, and by the time the system arrives, it fizzles out. We'll keep you posted.
We are also watching the tropics as Rafael is now a Category 1 hurricane headed toward the Gulf of Mexico. We may see impacts along the Louisiana Gulf shore on Sunday, but expect little to no impacts here in the Delaware Valley.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Wednesday: Record warmth. High of 80.
Thursday: Showers south. High of 74, low of 63.
Friday: Nice day. High of 67, low of 47.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High of 62, low of 45.
Sunday: Chance of rain. High of 64, low of 43.
Monday: Shower possible. High of 69, low of 57.
Tuesday: Nice and mild. High of 68, low of 51.