Major Nor'easter Could Dump A Foot Of Snow In Philly Area

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Up to a foot of snow could fall in the greater Philadelphia area this weekend if a powerful nor'easter continues to develop, the National Weather Service said.

There remains great variability: the earliest estimates call for accumulation of somewhere between 6 and 12 inches of snow if the storm hits directly. It will all depend on how the storm tracks in the coming days.

Gusty winds are likely, but the storm track will determine whether they're potentially damaging, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service expects to have "quite a bit more" information in the next 12-24 hours, the agency said Wednesday morning.

"The exact track of the storm will not only determine which part of New England will be buried under a foot or more of snow but also whether part of the mid-Atlantic region could end up in the heavy snow zone or just face increasing dry and cold winds from the storm's backside," AccuWeather reported.

Here's the full forecast:

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 29. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 16. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 33. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Friday

A slight chance of snow before noon, then a chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Friday night

Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday

A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 13.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 28.

Sunday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 15.