Anyone trying to wish away winter isn’t getting their wish.
Expect rain and snow Saturday in Delaware County with little to no accumulation, but don’t venture too far north or you will get into all snowfall.
There’s a winter weather advisory as close as Lancaster, Berks and northern Montgomery counties for a couple inches of snow.
Clouds have already rolled in across the region after a brief “red sky at morning, sailor take warning” start to the day.
The AccuWeather forecast is for rain overnight and possibly a thunderstorm, with the temperature just above freezing as mild air overruns the cold air at the surface.
“There is a marginal risk for severe storms with strong winds,” the National Weather Service adds.
Mother Nature’s next trick is “The main concern for late Sunday afternoon and evening through Monday will be the strong to damaging west to northwest winds developing.”
The weather service at Mount Holly, N.J., has issued a high wind watch from Sunday at 10 a.m. to Monday at 6 p.m.
The watch comes with much concern:
“Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult,especially for high profile vehicles.
“Wet soils combined with the high winds could result in extensive tree damage. The strong winds will usher in much colder air, with temperatures in the 20s and 30s and wind chills in the teens. Potential for power outages combined with the cold could exacerbate the impacts of this high wind event.”
The rapidly changing conditions are likely to include the temperature surging to near 60 degrees on Sunday afternoon and falling as much as 30 degrees by Monday morning as an arctic front plows into the region.
The arctic air mass is likely to remain in place all workweek, knocking down temperatures to 10 to 15 degrees below normal, with AccuWeather already talking about a midweek nor’easter.
“A storm at the jet stream level of the atmosphere over the Midwest will be a significant part of the storm setup. Should this storm join forces with a second storm traveling from the Northwest this weekend to the southern Plains early next week, heavy snow will unfold in the East,” is the update Saturday.
The temperatures Monday through Thursday are likely to top out near the freezing mark, with lows in the teens. Those temperatures will not be extreme enough to set date records.
We won’t be alone. Much of the Lower 48 will also be in a deep freeze.
The average temperature at Philadelphia International Airport for the month is 37 degrees, running about normal. The Sunday warmth surge will drive up that average a bit, but the following several days will pull it well down below normal.
If the forecast holds, starting Monday the temperature won’t even rise to 37 degrees until the 23rd.
Check back for updates.
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