Snow In Eastern PA Forecast Ahead Of Thanksgiving

PENNSYLVANIA — A developing storm system could bring snow and rain to eastern Pennsylvania next week, with the potential to make a mess of travel ahead of Thanksgiving, forecasters say.

Forecasters from AccuWeather said the exact timing and track of the storm have yet to be determined, though they are monitoring two potential scenarios depending on the path the storm ends up taking.

Along with the possibility of rain and snow, forecasters are concerned that widespread strong winds may develop Monday and Tuesday across the eastern region if the storm intensifies.

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"We could be looking at a huge mess and a real wrench in holiday travel," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.

For now, the National Weather Service is calling for a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain and snow showers on Monday night into Tuesday.

In one scenario, high winds could develop as temperatures plunge and the storm strengthens across the northeast. Mostly heavy rain and possibly severe thunderstorms could sweep through the state Monday into Tuesday.

In another scenario forecasters say is possible, the storm would evolve more slowly over the Midwest from Sunday to Monday, and shift northeast on Tuesday with the potential to bring a period of intense rain, snow and high winds to Pennsylvania.

High winds are a concern in both scenarios and could strengthen rapidly enough to be classified as a bomb cyclone, according to AccuWeather.

Steven DiMartino, a meteorologist who heads the private NY NJ PA Weather forecasting company, agreed that it’s too early to tell whether Pennsylvania will get hit with snow or rain.

“We’re keeping an eye on the time period between Monday night and Wednesday morning of next week — right before Thanksgiving of course — that could be rather stormy,” DiMartino said in a video forecast on Tuesday morning.

“There is a lot of volatility in this forecast for early next week. So you’re gonna see a lot of different depictions of this time period. Everything has been shown already, from raging snowstorm to raging rain storm with gales, to nothing at all — a complete miss,” he said.

DiMartino noted that there’s much uncertainty on how the various parts of the atmosphere and shortwaves will interact in the developing storm.

As for holiday travel, DiMartino said people should monitor the storm and be prepared for disruptions if the storm strengthens next week.

“Just have some backup plans and just be prepared to take a little bit longer to get to your destinations between Tuesday and Wednesday in the northern Mid-Atlantic, and you can also extend that into New England,” he said.

Here is the latest forecast, according to the National Weather Service:

Wednesday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 70. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday night

Showers likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 48. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday night

Clear, with a low around 29.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 47.

Saturday night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56.

Sunday night

A chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday night

A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday

A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Kimberlee Bongard