Fog, Freezing Rain, Flooding: Latest Philly Area Forecast

PENNSYLVANIA — Snowfall is likely to miss most of the five-county area in southeastern Pennsylvania this weekend, but a powerful system is likely to instead dump significant freezing rain that could lead to flooding throughout much of the area.

Dense fog was the harbinger of the storm on Thursday morning, lowering visibility to as little as a quarter mile in some places, the National Weather Service said.

Rain will start Thursday and continue on and off through Friday. The rain is expected to be "moderate to locally heavy rain."

"Between 0.75 and 2 inches of rain are expected to fall through Friday," the National Weather Service said. "The rain combined with rapid snowmelt may result in localized flooding in areas of poor drainage."

Plummeting temperatures Friday night are likely to leave sheets of ice in the area.

Snowfall, meanwhile, is expected as close nearby as the Lehigh Valley and Berks County.

Here's the latest forecast:

Thursday

Periods of rain. Patchy dense fog before 3 p.m. High near 50. Light southeast wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday night

Rain. Low around 44. South wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday

Rain. Temperature falling to around 37 by 4 p.m. West wind around 10 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday night

Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 31. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 19.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 38.

Sunday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 26.