7:00 AM | ***Possible record-breaking warmth on Saturday and becoming very windy...noticeably colder on Sunday***

6-Day forecast for the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metro region

Today

Some sun today and turning a bit milder, highs in the upper 40’s; S winds around 5 mph

Tonight

Mainly cloudy, chilly, chance of showers, lows in the low-to-mid 40’s

Saturday

Mainly cloudy, becoming unseasonably warm with possible record-breaking afternoon highs, a couple of isolated morning showers and some patchy fog, more numerous showers develop late in the afternoon with a possible strong thunderstorm, winds will increase substantially later in the day and can gust past 40 mph by day’s end, mid 60’s for afternoon highs (record high at PHL is 65 degrees set in 1971)            

Saturday Night             

Showers and possibly a strong thunderstorm in the evening, remaining mainly cloudy after midnight, very windy with gusts possible past 50 mph, turning colder late, mid 30’s for late night lows           

Sunday

Mainly sunny, breezy, noticeably colder, mid 40’s

Monday

Mainly sunny, chilly, near 50 degrees

Tuesday

Mainly sunny, a bit milder, low-to-mid 50’s

Wednesday

Partly sunny, milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Discussion              

A warm up begins today in the Mid-Atlantic region, but it really intensifies on Saturday as winds will increase substantially as we begin the weekend from a southwesterly direction. In fact, winds on Saturday can gust past 50 mph and temperatures should soar well up into the 60’s around here which would threaten the December 11th record of of 65 degrees set in 1971. Late day and evening showers are likely to accompany the approach of the incoming strong cold front and there can even be a strong thunderstorm as well in some spots.  Following the passage of the strong cold front, it’ll turn noticeably colder on Sunday with afternoon highs likely confined to the 40’s. Looking ahead, much of next week will turn out to be warmer-than-normal across the eastern two-thirds of the nation as strong high pressure ridging develops over the Great Lakes.

Meteorologist Paul Dorian