Record-breaking Heat Today, But The Snow Could Be Falling By Wednesday
By Kate Bilo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- We broke a record today as the mercury hit 72 degrees!
It was a balmy, beautiful afternoon in the wake of the overnight rain, and I really hope you got outside to enjoy a piece of it, because major changes are on the way.
Winter Storm Watches have been posted all across the region as a powerful system moves up the eastern seaboard, developing into a full-blown nor'easter.
Timing:
Rain will begin by mid-morning all across the region, though precipitation may begin as snow and stay snow in the Poconos and parts of the Lehigh Valley. The heaviest precipitation rates will be through the mid-afternoon and early evening hours, winding down later Wednesday night.
Our current snow projections:
Poconos - 8"+
Lehigh Valley into far north and west suburbs (Reading, Quakertown, etc) - 4-8"
Near NW suburbs, Philadelphia, I-95 corridor into extreme E NJ - 2-4"
Interior S Jersey and Delaware - Coating-2"
Immediate Coast - None or Light Coating
It's important to note that this could still change. Temperatures will be hovering right around the freezing mark much of the afternoon, and if the heaviest of the precipitation falls as rain, the numbers will be lower. However, when snow falls very heavily, it can rapidly cool the column of air, leading to colder conditions and heavier snow. It will be one to watch, for sure, but these numbers may have to be adjusted.
The good news is that it's dry for Thanksgiving Day, but chilly, with temperatures only reaching the low 40's - and we'll top out in the upper 30's for Black Friday! That means most of the snow will stay on the ground and many of us will enjoy a "White Thanksgiving."
