Record Cold Sets Us Up For Next Winter Storm
By Kathy Orr
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Friday morning will be frigid. Philadelphia will challenge the record of 9 degrees, set in 1934. If that is not bad enough, wake up wind chills will be around -10.
A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for the Poconos, for morning wind chills as low as 25, even 30 degrees below zero!
After a frigid Friday, temperatures will rebound into the 30's Saturday, as we welcome March.
The next day, we will welcome our 15th storm of the season. The precipitation may begin as rain late Sunday afternoon and then change snow as the cold air wins out. The storm will end Monday evening as snow, everywhere.
The American computer guidance (GFS) has been consistent in showing a colder event with the potential for more snow, and Thursday afternoon's run of the European Model (EURO) now agrees. We will continue to watch!
While we are still days away and it's too early to talk snowfall amounts, however, we need to be prepared for the risk of a snow event vs. a rain/mix event, at least for Philadelphia and our northern and western suburbs. And if the snowy solution verifies, we are talking over half a foot in many spots (remember, we need 6" in order to break the record for 2nd snowiest winter). In South Jersey and Delaware, you will have a harder time with mixing. There would be more ice and sleet, even some rain is possible.
Monday will be a tough travel day since it is likely that both the morning and afternoon commutes will be impacted by the storm before it moves out to sea later Monday evening. Behind that, another blast of arctic air for the first week of March….ROAR!
We will continue to monitor this developing storm as it heads toward the California coast, and keep you posted with any new developments.
Kathy
