Philly Area Thunderstorms: See Timeline For Heavy Rain This Week

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Thunderstorms, wind gusts and several rounds of heavy rain are expected throughout the remainder of the week, and could impact plans in the greater Philadelphia area, including the Phillies Opening Day.

As of Wednesday morning, overnight rainfall has already traversed much of the area, and should taper off by noon. However, another round should hit the state late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, making for a wet commute, according to the National Weather Service.

Modest rises could occur in rivers and creeks, but flooding shouldn't be a major concern outside of typical ponding on roadways, National Weather Service forecasters said in a morning discussion.

While motorist impact remains minimal, forecasters still urge Philadelphia area drivers to build in a few extra minutes into the morning commute for the next few days while rain washes over the region.

Here's what's expected to happen:

• On Wednesday morning, steady, heavy rain is expected across the state, mainly before noon. Rainfall is expected to taper by late morning through midday, although cloudy skies will still linger. Temperatures will be in the mid 50s to the low 60s, per the National Weather Service. Winds could gust up to 15 mph in parts of the region.
• Rain will resume in the wee hours of Thursday morning after 3 a.m. Scattered showers will last throughout the region for the remainder of the day with a thunderstorm possible after 11 a.m. Rainfall totals between a half to three quarters of an inch are also possible. A thunderstorm is in the forecast for the greater Philadelphia area before 11 p.m.
• Precipitation will follow Thursday night into the next day with a slight chance of showers before 8 a.m. on Friday morning, then another round likely after 2 p.m. Wind gusts of up to 20 mph are expected.
• The weekend should be a bit drier on Sunday, with the National Weather Service predicting mostly sunny skies. Saturday still holds a chance of showers in the north with a partly sunny forecast throughout the state.

While the Yankees-Red Sox Opening Day game on Thursday has already been postponed, the Phillies Opening Day game against the Oakland Athletics isn't until Friday afternoon. The current likelihood of precipitation on Friday sits at 30 percent, so while the storm is threatening, things still good to go for the 2022 season kickoff.

Here's the latest forecast:

Wedneday

Rain, mainly before 11am. High near 58. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night

Cloudy, with a low around 48. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 11am. High near 56. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 47. North wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday

A chance of showers, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday Night

A chance of showers, mainly before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Nicole Rosenthal