Bitterly cold Friday as Arctic air hits Philadelphia region; weekend snow chances in weather forecast
Expect frigid weather around the Philadelphia area Friday, followed by an increasingly snowy Saturday, a close call Sunday and then the coldest day of the season next Tuesday — a brutal stretch of weather.
Don't be fooled by the inviting sunshine Friday. All the winter gear will be needed because temperatures will hover between 15 and 25 degrees in the morning, with a persistent breeze creating wind chills between 5 and 15 degrees.
By the afternoon, we climb to the mid-30s with wind chills in the teens.
NEXT big weather change
A NEXT Weather Alert has been issued for Saturday morning as a sneaky system looks to produce a decent chance for some accumulating snow through the first part of the day.
Wet and slushy morning snow is possible. Accumulating snow looks most likely along and north of the I-95 corridor. Light snow is expected to start over the Lehight Valley between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., with it becoming steadier between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Steady, wet snow is expected to move into the Philly area by 9 a.m. and wet snow and rain in South Jersey and down the shore will start to move out between noon and 2 p.m. Highs will be in the upper 30s to around 40 degrees Saturday afternoon.
SUNDAY: A coastal low makes a close brush to our area. As of now, most of the precipitation stays offshore, but we may see snow along the coast Sunday afternoon. There is still a chance that light accumulations make it farther inland toward I-95 Sunday afternoon. Again, accumulations stay light.
NEXT WEEK: Tuesday will be the coldest of the season so far with morning wind chills near 0 and highs only in the mid-20s. All skin must be covered to avoid frostbite.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Friday: NEXT Weather Alert, cold and windy. High 35, low 22.
Saturday: Snow/rain shower. High 43, low 29.
Sunday: Coastal system? High 34, low 29.
Monday/MLK Day: Sunny and cold. High 32, low 19.
Tuesday: NEXT Weather Alert for the coldest weather of the season. High 24, low 14.
Wednesday: Very cold. High 30, low 13.
Thursday: Very cold. High 35, low 32.
