Thursday starts extremely cold, but the Philadelphia region will start to thaw out soon. Here's the forecast.
A NEXT Weather alert is in effect through Thursday morning in the Philadelphia region. It's another dangerously cold start with lows in the single digits and teens close to the city. Farther north and west of the city, and at places along the Jersey Shore, we're looking at morning temperatures at or below zero.
One bright spot is that there's only a calm wind, so the wind chill effect is almost nonexistent. Still, you want to take these extreme temperatures seriously — you know the drill by now — hat, gloves, scarf and layers. You want to protect any exposed skin from too much time in these low temperatures.
By Thursday afternoon our NEXT Weather Alert expires, as temperatures will reach the 20s and low 30s, just shy of the freezing mark.
On Friday morning, it will still be cold in the mid and upper teens, but by the afternoon, we may rise above freezing for the first time since last Sunday at 4:25 p.m. That will mean we spent roughly five full days below freezing.
Despite sunshine, Saturday will hover either side of freezing.
On Sunday, we begin our thaw and warm-up. Southwest winds will push us to the low 40s for the first time since last Saturday and only the seventh time this month. That seasonable pattern in the low to mid-40s will continue next week as we end January much warmer than it began.
Speaking of January's end, one of Pennsylvania's biggest days is only 11 days away — Groundhog Day. On Feb. 2, people will wonder if Punxsutawney Phil will be looking forward to this warmup as much as many of us are.
While you may look forward to all of that mild air, it will also create a large black ice problem with all of our melting snow refreezing at night.
Many of our rivers, large and small, have frozen over, and there may also be some ice damming as the ice thaws and breaks apart.
Next week will also be dry and snowless. There is a disturbance nearby on Monday, but it is not expected to bring any precipitation to the area.
Winter weather checklist
This is a good time to remember the 3 "Ps" — people, pets and pipes.
- People: Check on the elderly, make sure they have heat, and all children bundled up for the bus in the morning should be dressed in multiple layers, with hats, gloves, scarves and all extremities covered.
- Pets: If we don't like this weather, they don't either. Make sure to limit those bathroom breaks and walks.
- Pipes: For older homes especially, make sure to wrap older pipes in towels or rags and have a light trickle dripping in the rarely used sinks and faucets to prevent pipes from bursting.
7-day NEXT Weather forecast:
Thursday: NEXT Weather Alert for cold. High 30, Low 10.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High 34, Low 18.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. High 33, Low 14.
Sunday: Clouds, mild. High 44, Low 27.
Monday: Partly sunny. High 43, Low 25.
Tuesday: Partly sunny. High 44, Low 32.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High 46, Low 25.