What to Know
- Some light -- maybe even what some might consider festive -- snow will be falling on the Philadelphia region on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.
- With temps hovering above freezing in most places, not much of the snow should be sticking and some places might get mostly chilly rain. Philadelphia and the immediate communities could see a rain/snow mix through the afternoon.
- Once the storm moves out, frigid conditions take over this weekend. By Sunday morning it should be feeling around zero.
Keep that umbrella handy Friday as a wintry mix of light snow and cold rain are expected to fall. However, for most people in the Philadelphia region, the snow shovels can stay packed away, for now.
The First Alert Weather Team is tracking a clipper system that could, however, bring up to a few inches of snow to the Lehigh Valley and high elevations of the Pennsylvania suburbs.
Here's a breakdown of what to expect:
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Light snow and chilly rain
On Friday a fast-moving clipper system is expected to bring a mix of light rain and snow throughout the Delaware Valley. Whether you get chilly rain or some snow, will depend on your location.
Cold rain and light snow could start during the morning. A wintry mix is then expected to fall through the afternoon into evening.
In the Lehigh Valley, light snow accumulation is possible, with most areas seeing a dusting to an inch, and up to 3 inches in higher elevations. However, temperatures hovering near or just above freezing for most of the day, will limit how much sticks, especially since the ground isn’t very cold.
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Closer to Philadelphia, it stays above freezing throughout the day and evening, so while rain may transition to light snow by evening, it’s unlikely to accumulate.
"Most of the snow falling will be melting," First Alert Weather meteorologist Bill Henley said.
Roads in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs and northern Delaware should remain fine, but colder surfaces like grass and sidewalks north and west of the city might see some light accumulation.
The wintry weather continues into early Saturday before the last flakes and raindrops move out.
That's right, in colder suburbs and the Lehigh Valley you could be waking up to a slushy mix and even some snow on grass and colder surfaces when you wake up Saturday.
Where is most likely to see snow on the ground? When might snow fall?
Lehigh Valley, colder neighborhoods in higher elevations: Dusting to 1 inch in most areas, up to 3 inches in higher elevations. Temperatures near or just above freezing will limit how much snow accumulates on roadways during the afternoon.
Philadelphia, surrounding communities: Rain transitions to light snow in the evening, but no accumulation expected as temperatures remain above freezing.
Be ready to bundle up after the storm?
Winter arrives Saturday and it will fell like it! The clipper moves out in the morning, leaving behind blustery, cold conditions -- it will be feeling like the teens in the afternoon.
Sunday turns even colder with morning temperatures in the teens and highs only in the 20s.
That's right, it will be feeling like zero (or colder) Sunday morning in some parts of eastern Pennsylvania.
So, get ready to bundle up!
As always, be sure to have the latest version of the NBC10 app downloaded to your phone and keep checking back with NBC10 on air for the latest weather forecast.
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