7:00 AM | First accumulating snow of the 2012-2013 season as a powerful Nor'easter rides up the coast just offshore; 3-6 inches expected in the Philly metro region with wind gusts to 45 mph

6-Day Forecast

Today

Cloudy, windy and cold with rain, sleet, and/or snow developing this morning and then changing to all snow this afternoon, gusts up to 45 mph possible by late this afternoon, temperatures holding in the 30's and then dropping slowly after the precipitation begins

Tonight

Cloudy, windy, cold, snow, or at times a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, total accumulations of 3-6 inches by later tonight, gusts up to 45 mph, lows near 30 degrees

Thursday

Cloudy, windy, cold, snow, sleet and/or rain lingering in the early morning hours, mid 40’s

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, cold, low 30’s

Friday

Mostly sunny, a bit milder, highs near 50

Saturday

Mostly sunny, even milder, upper 50’s

Sunday

Mostly sunny, near seasonal, highs near 60

Monday

Partly sunny, warm, low 60’s

Discussion

A very compact intensifying Nor’easter will spread precipitation into the region this morning in the form of rain, sleet or snow or some combination and then this will change to primarily snow during the afternoon hours and continue into the overnight hours predominately in the form of snow. Winds will gradually intensify during the day with gusts peaking at 45 mph later this afternoon and tonight. Accumulations by late tonight will end up in the 3-6 inch range and, unfortunately, power outages are possible given the expected heavy, wet snow combined with the strong wind gusts. Road conditions should begin to deteriorate during the mid and late afternoon hours and then worsen quickly right after sunset and into the overnight hours. Temperatures will hold in the 30’s today and will drop to near 30 degrees tonight. Roads should improve rather quickly on Thursday as the precipitation ends and as temperatures climb to the 40’s although strong winds will continue through the morning hours. Elsewhere, winds today will gust to 60 mph or so at the Jersey shore where rain will predominate; however, there can even be a changeover to snow at the coastline by later tonight. Snow will accumulate in the Poconos up to 6 inches from this Nor’easter. Finally, the weekend still looks quite nice with sunshine both days and temperatures near 60 degrees for highs.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/sKXYL12ubQQ