7:00 AM | ****"The Blizzard of 2016" begins by early tonight and continues through tomorrow night****

6-Day Philly Forecast

Today and tomorrow

A blizzard warning is in effect for much of the region (see discussion for forecast details)

Sunday

Early clouds and possible lingering snow showers give way to clearing skies, windy, cold, low-to-mid 30’s

Monday

Partly sunny, cold, mid-to-upper 30’s

Tuesday

Partly sunny, not as cold, low 40’s

Wednesday

Partly sunny, cold, upper 30’s

Discussion

This continues to look like a high-impact and long-lasting storm for the Philly metro region that will include significant snow accumulations of 14-20 inches (lower amounts in that range across the northern suburbs, higher amounts in that range to the south and southwest), some serious blowing and drifting, isolated power outages, and perhaps even some thunder snow and lightning. The snow should arrive this evening in the Philly metro region between 5 and 9PM. There is a chance for some mixing with sleet at times, but this should primarily be a snow event for Philly and the northern and western suburbs. There can be some mixing in with rain or sleet at times or even a temporary changeover to rain and/or sleet across New Jersey during this storm, but even there significant snow accumulations will take place (6-12" at the immediate coastline of southern New Jersey, 12-20" across interior New Jersey). Temperatures should generally be confined to the 20’s during the storm. The snow is likely to come down at varying rates later tonight and on Saturday as small-scale or “mesoscale” banding is likely to set up given the impressive dynamics involved with this unfolding system. Specifically, the snow can fall heavily at times with blizzard conditions and can also slacken off to “little or nothing” at times as well if a "dry slot" develops. There may be a sharp drop off in snow accumulation amounts on the northern edge of the storm’s precipitation field between east-central PA and points north (e.g., Poconos only 3-6 inches). At the Jersey Shore, in addition to the snowfall, coastal flooding and beach erosion are a major concern given the expected sustained period of strong NE winds (plus Saturday’s full moon). Wind gusts could reach 70 mph at coastal locations by later tomorrow and 50 mph at inland areas including near I-95 in Philly. Also, given the expected long-period of strong winds at and near the coast and the mixture of snow, sleet and rain, power outages are a real concern. Stay tuned - there is still a chance that this turns into a 2+ foot storm all the way from DC-to-Philly-to-NYC.