Rain On The Way...
By Steven Strouss
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You won't need the shovels this time around but a large storm, in the Ohio Valley, is headed our way with an abundance of moisture. A soaking rain will overspread the region around midnight and continue, heavy at times, through Saturday. Rainfall amounts of .75-1" are expected and this will cause ponding on roadways, poor drainage flooding and rises on area creeks and streams.
A Freezing Rain Advisory is in effect for Carbon and Monroe counties from 2AM-6AM Saturday. Surface temperatures there are around freezing, especially across the higher elevations, and a glaze of ice may result in slippery roads and walkways so use caution if traveling in this area before dawn. Temperatures will then soar into the upper 40s in the Poconos as warmer air gets pulled up from the south.
The steadiest and heaviest rain will occur during the morning hours on Saturday so keep the umbrellas handy. The rain should then taper off to showers later in the day with patchy fog and high temps reaching the upper 50s in Philadelphia. As the storm pulls away, strong winds will wrap in behind it and Sunday will feature partly sunny skies with a high around 50 degrees but winds could gust up to 30 mph.
After that, Monday looks like the pick of the week as sunshine returns with above average temperatures. The weather goes downhill from there and temperatures take a tumble by the middle part of next week with highs only in the 40s. Despite the cool down, it appears signs of Spring are not far away. Here are some days to look forward to. Only 6 days remain until the Vernal Equinox, the official start of Spring. Only 22 days remain until the average high in Philadelphia reaches 60 degrees and only 24 days remain until the Phillies home opener against the Red Sox on April 6th.