Snow, Sleet Possible Christmas Eve, Day In Eastern PA

Christmas travel conditions could be perilous across the Philadelphia region. Rain, sleet and even snow is expected overnight, the National Weather Service says.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued in the Lehigh Valley and parts of New Jersey. "The ice will result in very slippery conditions on sidewalks, roads and bridges," the National Weather Service said.

Plus the entire region is under a wind advisory on Christmas Day.

While the precipitation is likely to be mainly rain around Philadelphia and its suburbs, freezing rain conditions and even snow are possible. Plus it could complicate holiday travel plans.

The storm system is expected to bring snow to New York and New England, making travel along the northeast tricky during the holiday weekend. Highways that are likely to be the most affected by the storm include Interstate 70, I-76, I-78, I-80, I-81, I-84, I-86, I-87, I-88, I-89, I-90, I-91, I-93, I-95 and I-390, AccuWeather predicts. "

Expect delays due to slippery runways and deicing operations at Pittsburgh, New York City and Boston," AccuWeather said in a news release.

Here is the local forecast:

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. East wind 6 to 8 mph.

Tonight: Rain, possibly mixed with snow and sleet before 11pm, then rain between 11pm and 5am, then a chance of rain and snow after 5am. Low around 33. East wind 6 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected.

Christmas Day: A chance of rain and snow before 7am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. West wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

PHOTO: Pixabay