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.
OVERNIGHT: Conditions will be partly cloudy and cold. Snow begins in the Poconos. The low temperature is 36 degrees, but wind chills will feel like the low to mid 20s.
FRIDAY: Friday will be windy and cold with rain and snow showers showers by midday. Rain may mix with snow in the northwest suburbs. Snow showers are likely for the Lehigh Valley 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.
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.
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.
Impact breakdown
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 begin 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 to 30 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 41, low of 36.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High of 53, low of 37.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High of 55, low of 44.
Monday: Mostly sunny. High of 59, low of 35.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. High of 58, low of 48.
Wednesday: Clouding up. High of 48, low of 35.
Thursday: Showers. High of 45, low of 31.
