EASTERN PA — Two separate storm fronts could bring very different impacts to eastern Pennsylvania in the coming days.
The first storm will bring heavy rain and wind to the area on Friday evening, with up to 1.5 inches of rain falling in the greater Philadelphia area, the National Weather Service said.
Winds will be severe in some areas, with wind gusts up to 44 miles per hour Friday night into Saturday morning.
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River flooding is expected, as the region’s largest waterways are already swollen from a series of recent rainstorms and the region just recovered from flooding earlier this week.
“Soils are very saturated, so urban and small stream flooding is possible Friday night into early Saturday morning,” the National Weather Service’s Mt. Holly, New Jersey branch said. “However, it is unlikely to be as widespread or severe as the last storm Tuesday night.”
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Tree damage and power outages are possible.
The storm should move out by sunrise on Saturday morning, with the heaviest impacts between 11 p.m. Friday and 4 a.m. Saturday.
The second storm front will bring a blast of arctic air into the region, plummeting the daily low temperatures into the 20s and teens over the weekend into early next week, forecasters said.
The cold is currently making its way “across western and central Canada and will soon sweep into the western and central United States later this week before reaching the East by midmonth. Energy demands will surge, and the cold may be so severe as to put those exposed at risk for serious health concerns, while frozen pipes may lead to extensive property damage,” AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The arctic front brings the potential of snow and ice to the central and northeast parts of the country from Sunday night through Wednesday.
The threat for the Philly area is more likely from Monday night through Wednesday when the cold air mixed with the recent flooding wreaks havoc on the roads.
“The eastward expansion of the arctic air could make for a real mess where flood waters linger and then freeze. Similar problems could occur along some secondary roads where runoff continues in the wake of the big rain and wind storm from Friday to Saturday,” according to AccuWeather.
While snow is possible in the greater Philadelphia area, the amount is heavily dependent on the track of the storm as it makes its way toward the Atlantic coast.
Here’s the full forecast:
Friday
Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Ftriday night
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Temperature rising to around 55 by 4 a.m. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 20 mph becoming southeast 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Saturday
A chance of rain, mainly before 10am. Mostly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 42 by 5 p.m. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday night
Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunday
A chance of snow after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Sunday Night
A chance of snow before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 20. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Partly sunny, with a high near 32.
Monday night
A chance of snow after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Tuesday
Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
Tuesday night
A chance of snow before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
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