What to Know
- Snow, sleet and freezing rain fell on colder neighborhoods as a strong coastal storm system rolled through the Philadelphia region Thursday. Even as temps warmed, heavy rain and strong winds still hit the region.
- Drivers encountered slick roads and some localized flooding. Some schools opened late.
- The NBC10 First Alert Weather Team has issued a First Alert the expired early Friday.
Some parts of the Delaware and Lehigh valleys got a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain as a large coastal storm system moved through the region Thursday. Most neighborhoods should get heavy rain and strong winds, causing disruptive conditions before the storm moves out early Friday morning.
A First Alert for slippery conditions and potential flooding was in effect until early Friday.
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Is School Opening on a Normal Schedule?
Before the weather even moved in, some schools opted to open late or close Thursday. Click here for the full list of school closings.
Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain Turn to Steady Rain
The storm that dropped heavy snow in California and the Dakotas, produced blizzard conditions in Minnesota and severe weather and deadly tornadoes in the South moved into our region Thursday morning. But we’re getting off easy compared to those other places.
The timing was everything as the large storm system arrived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The earlier the storm got to you, the more likely snow, sleet and ice hit.
Some sleet fell in Chester County shortly after 6 a.m. By 8 a.m., cold rain was falling on Center City Philadelphia as temps hovered just above freezing. Snow could be seen falling in Greenwich Township, Berks County.
Radar might showed snow and ice falling higher in the air that became rain by the time it hit the ground.
Northern and western suburbs up into Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and Poconos got snow, sleet and ice on the front-end of the storm. By late morning, the snow was sticking to roads in the Lehigh Valley.
A wintry mix could also have fallen on Philadelphia and immediate neighborhoods during the morning commute.
The Poconos and the northern and most western neighborhoods saw up to 7 inches of snow on Thursday. Up to 3 inches of snow fell in the Lehigh Valley and the most northern and western suburbs.
As Thursday went on on, more neighborhoods saw heavy rain. Coastal flooding and beach erosion were concerns at the Jersey Shore.
Rain then lingers into Friday with a high temp nearing 50 in Philadelphia. Winds should get to around 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph during the day.
Slippery Driving Conditions
There wasn't much accumulation of snow in Philadelphia and points south, but flooding was a concern where leaves and debris clogged gutters.
Slippery travel was possible Thursday morning -- especially north and west of Philadelphia -- with periods of snow and ice. That changed to just rain in the northern and western suburbs ahead of the afternoon commute.
Remember, drivers may not be used to driving in icy and slippery conditions after working from home the past couple winters, so give yourself extra time and take it easy.
Windswept rain becomes an issue throughout most of the region later in the afternoon and into Thursday night.
Drying Out for a Cold Weekend
Once the rain is gone, dry conditions are expected through the weekend. Expect a high in the low 40s under partly sunny skies Saturday and then a mostly sunny Sunday with highs in the upper 30s. The low temps will be well below freezing.
Expect clear skies for the start of Hanukkah Sunday night.
Be ready for whatever wintry weather Mother Nature has in store by downloading the FREE NBC10 app.
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