PA Weather: Snow, Wintry Mix Forecast For Friday

PENNSYLVANIA— Grab your umbrella, and maybe even your snow shovel — wet weekend weather will dump several inches of snow on parts of Pennsylvania on Friday while many will have to contend with rain.

A storm is coming east from the Midwest, and is likely to turn into a wintry mix and snow for some areas of the state, while others will see rain. The Philadelphia area may see a dusting of snow, as well.

Precipitation will begin moving into Pennsylvania Friday morning with "widespread rain" by the afternoon, said the National Weather Service.

The storm "will behave like a spring system," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg, with low elevations likely to have wet roads, even at night, and snow-covered roads in higher elevations.

The storm will "struggle with warmer air" as it pushes east, Lundberg added. The storm will fall near the heavily traveled I-80, I-84, and I-86 corridors of the Northeast, he said.

A coating of snow is possible in the Philadelphia region but will likely not accumulate much, if at all, said forecasters. More likely is up to three-quarters of an inch of rain for southeast PA and southern NJ, Lundberg said.

Up to eight inches of snow are possible in the high terrain up near the Pocono Mountains, with low-elevation areas in northern counties more likely to have wet roads. Monroe County is under a winter storm warning at this time.

Looking further ahead —minor coastal flooding is also possible with the high tide cycle along the ocean coasts on Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, said the NWS.

And, a gale watch is in effect for the Atlantic coastal waters on Saturday. Wind gusts of 35 to 40 kt are expected, with seas seven to eleven feet.

Next week, a second storm may develop into a potent nor'easter for the region, which forecasters are also tracking.

Here is an extended forecast for Philadelphia, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

Friday
Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 44. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday Night
Rain. Low around 35. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday
Rain likely, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 44. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 30. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 48. North wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.