Smoky Friday morning in Philadelphia region, tracking severe weather for Saturday. Here's the weather forecast.
Wildfire smoke will be the big story Friday in the Philadelphia region, especially in the morning, when air quality will likely be the worst.
A Code Purple has been issued in some spots, which is a level 4 of 5 on the scale. If possible, staying indoors is recommended. The weather will be hot again, but not quite as hot as on Thursday. Feels like temps will be in the mid-90s, with a handful in the upper 90s.
A NEXT Weather Alert remains in effect on Friday for the combination of wildfire smoke and heat. While the smoke should gradually thin out by Friday afternoon as winds shift, it will remain very warm and slightly less humid to end the workweek.
NEXT big weather changes
Attention then turns to Saturday, when our next cold front arrives. As the front interacts with the hot and humid air mass in place, scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening.
Some storms could become strong to severe with damaging wind gusts, torrential rain and frequent lightning. Saturday has been placed under a NEXT Weather Alert while we continue to monitor the severe weather potential.
Behind the front, Sunday looks noticeably more comfortable with lower humidity, a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures settling back into the 80s. It will be a much more pleasant finish to the weekend.
Next week is shaping up to be seasonably warm with pop-up showers and storms on several of the days. Could it actually be a normal summer week? We'll keep you posted.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Friday: NEXT Weather Alert for smoke. High 91, low 74.
Saturday: NEXT Weather Alert. High 84, low 75.
Sunday: AM shower. High 86, low 74.
Monday: Mostly sunny. High 86, low 67.
Tuesday: Thunderstorm. High 88, low 76.
Wednesday: Shower chance. High 83, low 75.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 83, low 67.
