Blustery and cold weather in Philadelphia Thursday, 4+ inches of snow possible in the Poconos
Our area received a good dose of beneficial rainfall last night, with most of the region checking in on either side of one inch. The rain ended before the bulk of the morning commute, and today, there's a break in the action before the center of the upper low merges with a new low retrograding in from the Atlantic to deliver a dose of heavy mountain snow tomorrow, along with rain and snow showers elsewhere.
The biggest question marks in the forecast are how far south the snow will go, and whether any accumulation will be found outside of the Pocono Mountains.
Lehigh, Berks and Northampton counties have the best chance to see falling snow throughout the day tomorrow, with the best chance coming late in the morning into the afternoon. Snow will have trouble accumulating because that's the warmest part of the day and the ground is warm. We can't rule out a slushy coating on colder surfaces, especially in the higher hilly areas.
A winter weather advisory has been issued for Northampton County for 7 p.m. Thursday until 10 a.m. Friday. Snow accumulations are generally expected to be between 1 to 2 inches with 3 to 4 inches possible in the highest elevations.
In Philadelphia, we're mostly looking at cold rain showers starting around midday and likely impacting the evening commute. If any snow is able to mix in, it would likely come late afternoon, especially just after sundown. There's a chance we could see snow mixing in earlier, but accumulation looks highly unlikely.
NEXT Weather Alert
ALERT: A NEXT Weather Alert remains in effect Thursday night through Friday. It'll feel like winter with bitter wind chills and snow showers likely even near the city. Accumulating snow in the Poconos, tracking 4-8 inches in the upper elevations with some accumulating snow into the Lehigh Valley, Berks, Upper Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Impact breakdown
Rain: Spotty showers are likely today, mainly to the north. Rain showers will redevelop by noon Thursday and may linger through tomorrow evening.
Wind: Winds gusting to 20-25 mph today. Winds may gust to 30-35 mph in spots tomorrow.
Cold: Wind chills on Friday are no better than freezing most of the day, with highs barely cracking the 40-degree mark.
Snow: The best chances begin late Thursday night and continue through Friday afternoon. Accumulation will be highly elevation-dependent, with as much as 4-8 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 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, which could cause flight delays on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year ahead of Thanksgiving. Calmer, more seasonable weather begins Sunday. 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:
Thursday: Breezy, cooler. High of 48.
Friday: NEXT Weather Alert. High of 41, low of 36.
Saturday: Windy. 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: Mostly sunny. High of 58, low of 48.
Wednesday: Clouding up. High of 48, low of 35.
