Spring-like weather in Philadelphia this week with highs the 50s, few chances for scattered showers
Monday starts a bit on the cooler side, so you'll want to grab a few layers before heading out the door. But temperatures this afternoon will climb into the 50s with plenty of sunshine, and from here on out we'll see above-average temperatures this week. Some areas could even push 60 degrees!
Don't be surprised if you see a few people breaking out the shorts and T-shirts.
Tuesday could bring us a few scattered showers and some more clouds, especially north and west, while Thursday is the better day this week for a chance of rain. Severe weather and flooding are not expected.
Wednesday is shaping up to possibly be the nicest day of the week, with even more sunshine and highs in the upper 50s.
February ends Friday with a quiet and mild day. March may come in more like a lamb than a lion on Saturday with highs near 50. It's Sunday, the second day of meteorological spring, that may be more lion-like with highs dropping to the upper 30s and a rain or snow shower early in the day.
Rain and snow are in short supply for Philadelphia this season — and we need both. Since Dec. 1, we have had 6.41 inches of rain, which is 2.82 inches below average as of Sunday. Our snow deficit is even worse with a paltry 8.1 inches of snow, which is 9.5 inches below average. That deficit is more than half the 17.6 inches we should have as of Sunday.
One nice benefit of the spring months is the increase in hours of daylight each day.
Our sunrise Sunday was at 6:42 a.m. and sunset was at 5:47 p.m. In two weeks on March 9, Daylight Saving Time begins, and although we face the dreaded loss of one hour of sleep from flipping the clock ahead one hour, we will see a later sunset at 7:02 p.m. It will be nice to enjoy that extra daylight after work and school. Finally, astronomical spring, also known as the vernal equinox, is in one month on March 20. That day our sunset will be at 7:14 p.m.
Here's the 7-day forecast:
Monday: Mostly sunny. High 53, low 29.
Tuesday: A late shower? High 59, low 36.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 56, low 37.
Thursday: Showers likely. High 57, low 41.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High 49, low 39.
Saturday: Clouds, some sun. High 52, low 34.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 37, low 30.
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