Here We 'Snow' Again!

By Katie Fehlinger

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Here we "snow" again!

Another system is set to streak across the Midwest and arrive in the Delaware Valley in time for the morning drive Tuesday. This latest system is not a major storm, but it will deliver more snow, especially from Philadelphia on north. I like to call it a glorified clipper.

*UPDATE: Winter Weather Advisories take effect early Tuesday morning (between 5:00-6:00AM for all of southeastern PA, and central NJ (as far south as Camden, Burlington and Ocean). They are slated to expire mid-afternoon.

The Bullet Points:

- Timing: light snow begins toward dawn Tuesday, generally between 5:00-8:00AM.
- Accumulations of a coating - 1" in the greater Philadelphia region, up to 3" in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos.
- A second, less-prolonged pulse of precipitation moves through Tuesday night, with a better chance for a mix of snow, sleet, and rain.
- Southern NJ and DE likely don't see much out of this system (track moving just north).

A Glorified Clipper

The system that's coming is an Alberta clipper. It gets its name from its origin and characteristics. Philadelphia sees clippers often in winter. They originate over the province of Alberta and tend to zip across the U.S., usually leaving colder air and a drop in temperatures in their wake. Typically, clippers also leave minimal snow amounts behind since they a.) don't have much moisture to work with, and b.) move too quickly to dump very much.

This time, the storm will have more "juice" to draw from and starts to "spin up" or morph into a stronger system over New England. So, it becomes a more impressive snow event for that region.

Break in the Wintry Pattern

Tired of snow and cold yet? Better news comes later this week as significantly milder air surges in from the southeastern U.S. I expect temperatures to not only get back to seasonable, but exceed the norm with a few days in the 50's.

That means any snow still on the ground will likely melt away by the weekend.

In addition, a larger storm is brewing by week's end. However, due to the expected warm up, it would be mainly a rainmaking storm for our area.

Enjoy the great skiing weather while you have it, and stay warm!

Katie