Philadelphia area should prepare for temperature shock as temps drop 55 degrees in just over 24 hours
The Philadelphia area has enjoyed an early taste of summer this week with a new record high temperature of 83 Wednesday, a day when we should be in the low 50s.
Reality check: It's March and technically still winter in Philadelphia. March can be a volatile month with huge temperature swings and everything from blizzards to tornadoes.
Now you'll need to prepare for one of the largest temperature drops in recent memory. This will be a real shock to the system as we plunge over 55 degrees in less than 36 hours.
Let's start with Wednesday. Eight-three degrees, dropping to the 60s by midnight. Then the temperature continues falling to the low 40s before noon on Thursday and low 30s by the afternoon.
Finally, we'll bottom out in the 20s by the time you wake up Friday morning.
This incredible temperature drop is courtesy of an extremely strong cold front that brings the additional threat of severe storms Wednesday evening followed by cold rain Thursday morning and a rain/snow mix by Thursday evening.
Looking back at large temperature swings, we only need to turn to earlier this week. We saw a 43-degree diurnal change from 40 degrees Tuesday morning to the afternoon record high of 83. It's not so bad when the swing is upward from a morning low, and it's common to have 30–40-degree warmups as warmer air arrives on southwest winds. It's much tougher when the temperature plummets by 50 degrees or more in 24-36 hours.
On Dec. 23, 2022, the high of 59 was in the very early morning, and the temperature fell to 9 degrees that night — a whopping 50 degree drop in 24 hours. Back in 1978, there was a 49-degree drop when the high of 61 on Jan. 9 fell to 12 degrees that night.
For these big temperature fluctuations to occur, we need to have a high temperature far above normal and a low temperature far below normal. That is exactly what we are looking at with the drop from the 80s Wednesday to the 20s in less than 36 hours.
As tempting as it may be to leave the house Thursday morning in short sleeves, please make sure to carry that winter coat and umbrella for your trip home Thursday night.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Wednesday: NEXT Weather Alert for p.m. storms. High 83, low 53.
Thursday: Rain, colder. High 63, low 59.
Friday: Colder. High 52, low 28.
Saturday: Partly sunny. High 55, low 45.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High 59, low 37.
Monday: Rain likely. High 50, low 45.
Tuesday: Showers. High 40, low 32.