White Christmas Could Hit PA: What To Know About Developing Storm

PENNSYLVANIA — A powerful weather system is threatening the region and could hit right around Christmas Day, depending on its trajectory and power, according to the latest forecasts.

Experts remain unsure, but heavy rain, winds, and snow are all possible in the region, the National Weather Service said, throwing a wrench in traveler's plans. The storm is likely to impact much of the nation.

The greater Philadelphia area is likely to see the storm hit on Thursday and Friday. More exact timing is not yet known.

AccuWeather currently puts the "travel delay risk" for the Philadelphia area as high. Roads will obviously be treacherous. And if you're flying, even if your airport is outside of the storm's primary target zones, delays at other travel hubs may cause a cascading effect that displaces aircraft and crews, AccuWeather notes.

"This storm will likely become intense, feeding on the extremely sharp variation between the surging arctic air arriving from the central states and relatively warm air across the southeastern U.S.," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. "Major east coast storms over the decades have occurred in this type of setup, bringing the risk for heavy snow and rain, gusty winds, coastal flooding, severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes on the southern side of the storm."

AccuWeather recommends staying flexible on when you depart for holiday travel, if you're able. This could also become the coldest Christmas in decades, so those leaving home may want to take precautions to avoid freezing pipes or potential water damage.

The arctic air increases the threat of frozen precipitation in at least part of the region, according to the agency.

"For now, it would be wise for most of our region to prepare for at least some snow, gusty winds, along with another round of coastal flooding and perhaps heavy rain as well," said forecasters in the Mount Holly office, which covers all of New Jersey except the northeastern portion.

AccuWeather sees a growing chance of a massive storm hitting the nation from next Wednesday through Friday (Dec. 22-24). The portions of the country with the highest snow potential — the southern Plains, Midwest and Northeast — don't include New Jersey, per AccuWeather. But poor travel conditions may still unfold in the region.

"This storm will likely become intense, feeding on the extremely sharp variation between the surging arctic air arriving from the Central states and relatively warm air across the Southeastern U.S.," said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. "Major East Coast storms over the decades have occurred in this type of setup, bringing the risk for heavy snow and rain, gusty winds, coastal flooding, severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes on the southern side of the storm."

Forecasts for the days leading to Christmas should become more precise as the dates near.