Arctic Blast, Dangerous Cold May Linger In Philly Area

PENNSYLVANIA — Friday will bring some dangerously cold conditions to the Philadelphia area, once again. And this time, they may be here to stay for some time.

Wind chill could plummet to near zero in the region throughout the day and into the evening, with a high of 26 and wind gusts blowing frigid northern air as high as 20 miles per hour.

"Prepare yourself for some winter temperatures today and tonight," warned the National Weather Service's Mt. Holly, New Jersey, station. "The map (linked here) has the overnight wind chill index. During the midday hours today, the wind chills will be about 10 degrees warmer than this. Bundle up and prepare for the cold. Make sure to bring pets inside too."

Several arctic blasts have hit the Philadelphia area this winter, but they haven't lasted long. However, AccuWeather believes the current coldness will have staying power.

"While temperatures may rebound a bit by the end of this weekend into early next week, AccuWeather forecasters say the lower-than-average temperatures will likely persist through the end of the month," AccuWeather reports. "Many locales in the interior Northeast could fail to rise above freezing again for the duration of January."

Thursday's remaining snow, and any standing water, will freeze and create icy spots on untreated roads, forecasters said.

Here's the complete forecast for the weekend:

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 26. North wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 29. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.

Saturday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.

Sunday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.