Prepare for a little snow Friday night and a lot of cold this weekend in the Philadelphia region.
Friday will be a humid and cloudy day. Scattered rain showers will mix with snow at times, especially later in the day in the north and west.
As temperatures drop closer to freezing in the evening, there may be a transition from rain to snow showers as a clipper system approaches the region. Clipper systems are typically moisture-deficient and do not produce major snow, but these will phase with a newly formed coastal low, causing increased lift and scattered snow flurries through midnight.
CBS News Philadelphia
The current prospect is a coating of up to an inch along either side of the I-95 corridor. While further north and west there could be 1 to 3 inches extending from Upper Montgomery, Upper Chester and Upper Bucks Counties to the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. The Poconos will be at their coldest all day, with 2 to 3 inches of snow possible. These forecast totals may shift slightly up or down depending on temperatures.
Any snow or rain will make for a slow evening commute on Friday. There may be some travel delays at the airport for evening flights.
The storm will move out early Saturday morning and skies will quickly clear to sunshine as very dry and bitterly cold air arrives. Highs on Saturday will hover around freezing, with wind chills in the low 20s. As northwest winds increase through the afternoon, lake effect snow bands may form reaching as far east as the Poconos and Lehigh Valley.
CBS News Philadelphia
Incidentally, winter officially starts Saturday morning.
Temperatures will drop into the teens on Sunday morning. Despite bright sunshine, we won’t return to the mid and upper 20s until midday. This will be the coldest day of the season so far.
Monday morning you’ll need extra layers and extra time to warm up the car as temperatures range from 8 to 13 degrees.
Under sunny skies, highs will hover around freezing.
Make sure your pets have a warm and dry place, preferably indoors. They are no more accustomed to the frigid Arctic air than we are.
On Tuesday, Christmas Eve, skies will be cloudy and scattered rain showers are possible. Highs will be closer to normal in the low 40s.
On Christmas Day Highs on Wednesday will be in the low 40s with partly cloudy skies and a lingering rain shower. Hanukkah begins Wednesday evening and there may be a few scattered showers.
Thursday is Kwanza, and it will be partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of scattered showers and highs in the low 40s.
7 day forecast
CBS News Philadelphia
Friday: High 39, low 33, NEXT Weather warning for rain/snow
Saturday: High 34, low 31, windy, colder
Sunday: High 27, low 16, freezing, sunny
Monday: High 27, low 12, cold, some sun
Tuesday: Maximum 38, minimum 20, cloudy, afternoon shower
Wednesday: Maximum 44, minimum 29, spotty showers
Thursday: Maximum 47, minimum 31, chance of showers
