Winter Chill To Make A Comeback
By Katie Fehlinger
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A potent cold front marching east will slice through the summer-like warmth of recent days. You may have even heard the "s" word thrown around. While it's true this same system has a history of snow through the Midwest, it's NOT the headline for Philadelphia. Rather the rain, wind and cold that follow become our focus.
Let's talk about each.
It's a waterlogged Tuesday. Rain and some embedded thunderstorms will soak us anytime. Bottom line, rain gear is essentially a requirement through Tuesday night. In total, our region will pick up as much as 1-1.5" of rainfall.
You'll notice the stiff breeze all day. But, the direction of the wind (and what it means for wind chill) starts to shift northwesterly as the cold front actually crosses Tuesday night. Generally the wind stays sustained between 15-20 mph, with higher gusts up to 35 mph.
Temperatures will gradually start their decline through the daylight hours (into the upper 50's), and once the cold air takes over, the thermometer will PLUMMET. By very early Wednesday morning, we're into freezing territory.
With a forecasted low of 30 degrees in Philadelphia and the upper 20's in the suburbs, a Freeze Warning will take effect for most of us at 2AM Wednesday. Make sure you protect those Easter daffodils from damage by covering them with a cloth or simply bringing them indoors.
Regarding snow potential: in short, it's very low. Even if we see some wet snow or sleet on the back edge of the storm, it would have a very hard time sticking to the ground, let alone accumulating.
Wednesday clears out quickly and high pressure settles in for the rest of the work week. But we'll have to dig out of a chill reminiscent of late winter (from the low 50's Wednesday gradually warming to around 60 Friday).
In the meantime, stay dry!
Katie
