Snow turns to rain Saturday in Philadelphia region; brace for high winds Sunday
A NEXT Weather Alert is in effect Saturday as another storm system passes through the area. The system brought snow late Saturday morning and changed to sleet and rain by the early evening.
By late this evening, the warm front is north of us, and all precipitation changes to rain overnight.
Temperatures will hover in the low to mid-30s today but they begin rising late tonight as that warmer air streams into the Delaware Valley from the south.
The rain started in the most southern parts of our region like Cape May County — and then this transition line lifted northward as the afternoon went on.
Snow continues for the longest in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos. Those areas could see freezing rain or a wintry mix in the evening while everywhere south and east is seeing rain.
PennDOT temporarily reduced the speed limit on several area roadways as the winter weather system passes through:
- Interstate 78 in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties
- Interstate 80 in Carbon and Monroe Counties
- Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County
- Interstate 176 in Berks County
- Interstate 380 in Monroe County
- US 22 in Lehigh and Northampton counties
- US 222 in Berks and Lehigh counties
- US 422 in Berks County
- PA 33 in Monroe and Northampton counties
The rain will continue at a heavy clip overnight and temperatures will be mild.
Weather alerts this weekend in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware
We have two weather alerts to tell you about for this weekend.
Winter weather advisory: From 12 p.m. Saturday through 12 a.m. Sunday, for areas north and west of Philadelphia including Upper Bucks and Upper Montgomery counties, Berks County and the Lehigh Valley. These spots will see the most snow and potential icing from this storm.
High wind warning: From 10 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday, the entire viewing area is under this alert. West winds will blow 25 to 35 mph and gusts of 30 to 60 mph are possible. These could potentially blow down power lines or trees, especially those in loose soil that's still wet from the Saturday snow and rain.
More rain for Philly region on Sunday
Sunday morning there will be a lull in the rain ahead of the cold front. Temperatures will start out on either side of 40 degrees and then climb quickly ahead of the front on gusty southwest winds, topping out in the 50s and 60s.
Rain will once again pick up in the early afternoon with a chance of thunderstorms and periods of heavy rain and high winds. Some localized flooding will be possible.
Behind Sunday's cold front, temperatures will quickly fall back.
Presidents Day forecast
Presidents Day on Monday will be 20 degrees colder than Sunday with sunshine and windy conditions. Wind chills in the teens and 20s all day.
The week continues to be cold with yet another winter storm arriving Wednesday night and Thursday. This looks to be a significant snowmaker, but it is still too early to lock down the details.
The NEXT Weather Team will be tracking this storm and keep you updated.
Here's the 7-day forecast:
Saturday: NEXT Weather Alert for snow and wintry mix, rain. High 38.
Sunday: NEXT Weather Alert for rain and wind. High 58, low 35.
Monday: Cold and windy. High 35, low 28.
Tuesday: Another frigid day. High 31, low 19.
Wednesday: Tracking snow. High 30, low 16.
Thursday: Tracking snow. High 31, low 21.
Friday: Sunny and cold. High 37, low 21.
Get the latest weather info on the CBS News Philadelphia app.
