6:00 AM | ****Major storm to bring rain, wind-whipped heavy, wet accumulating snow and damaging wind gusts to the region with numerous power outages a big concern****
Paul Dorian
6-Day Philadelphia Forecast
Today
Extremely windy with gusts to 60 mph possible, colder with more rain early in the day that will change to wind-whipped heavy, wet snow as the day progresses, highs near 40 degrees early in the day
Tonight
Extremely windy with snow and rain showers before midnight, possibly mixed with sleet, cold, lows by morning in the low-to-mid 30’s
Saturday
Becoming partly sunny, very windy in the morning, diminishing winds in the afternoon, cold, mid 40’s for afternoon highs
Saturday Night
Mainly cloudy, cold, late night lows near freezing
Sunday
Mainly sunny, chilly, low-to-mid 40’s
Monday
Mainly sunny, chilly, mid-to-upper 40’s
Tuesday
Increasing cloud, chilly, upper 40’s
Wednesday
Mainly cloudy, colder, chance of rain or snow, lower 40’s
Discussion
The threat for numerous power outages in the Philly metro region is quite high today given the expectation of 60 mph wind gusts and the saturated grounds from recent rains which tend to weaken the root support system. In addition, heavy wet snow is likely to fall which will cling to the wet tree limbs and weigh them down increasing chances for power outages. The highest winds will likely occur during from late morning through the early part of the evening. As a result of intense high-latitude blocking to our north, this rapidly intensifying ocean storm will run into an “atmospheric brick wall” near Cape Cod, MA this morning and rather than taking the usual track for a nor’easter off to the east of Maine, it will be forced to the south. As it drops south, colder air will also drop southward and so will the rain/snow line with the first area to go over to snow being upstate PA and southern NY. By later today, it should be snowing in NYC, Philly and throughout much of southern New Jersey and in all of these areas a few inches of wind-whipped heavy, wet snow is possible (i.e., blizzard-like conditions).
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Vencore, Inc.
vencoreweather.com