Philadelphia Weather: Snow Squalls, Icy Roads Possible As Arctic Air Arrives Wednesday
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In the wake of a messy storm that started the week, cold arctic air will begin to pour into the region early Wednesday. With morning temperatures below freezing, we will have to be on alert for patchy ice on sidewalks, walkways, and in some spots on the roads.
With the cold west to northwest winds, lake effect snow bands will develop in northwestern Pennsylvania.
A few of these bands may survive long enough to be carried into parts of our region in the afternoon.
Areas to our far northwest have the best chance of seeing snow showers or squalls with these bands, but there is a possibility that they could survive to make it into the nearer suburbs.
While these snow showers and squalls are generally short-lived, they can lead to treacherous conditions on the roads.
Snow squalls are basically the equivalent of a pop-up gusty thunderstorm in the summer. The weather can turn from sunny and quiet to near whiteout conditions in minutes, with gusty winds and heavy snow.
Motorists that get caught in these conditions need to exert extreme caution as roads will become slick quickly and it can be very difficult to see.
These snow squalls usually only last for five to 10 minutes but can be intense.