Philadelphia Weather: Round 2 Of Winter Storm's One-Two Punch
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook | Twitter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A messy Monday left many people around the region under a thin coating of snow and slush to start the work week. While snow amounts remained relatively light, Mother Nature brought round two into the region Tuesday morning and it should stay with us throughout today and tonight as well.
New Jersey Government Offices Closed Due To Winter Storm
Snow amounts throughout the area starting Sunday night through this morning have ranged anywhere from 2 to 4 inches, with most of the accumulations falling on the grassy and non-treated surfaces. For the remainder of Tuesday, the best chance for accumulating snow will be in areas to the north of Philly, generally in the Lehigh Valley and the higher elevations of the Poconos. Overall, the extra snow today and this afternoon will likely not lead to much in the way of additional accumulations but should still pose problems on many of the area roadways.
Travel will be an issue across the region from the shore points up into the mountains today so winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings remain in effect for basically the entire area through at last this evening and in some cases (Poconos) into Wednesday morning. If you have to be out this afternoon, make sure you are staying extra vigilant and going slow to keep yourself and others safe as you travel.
Throughout the rest of the afternoon the forecast will be very location-based. For areas in South Jersey, Delaware and close to the shore, we have seen a lot of the wintry precipitation already change over to rain. However, there could still be pockets of frozen precipitation mixing in at times before lunch.
Winter Weather Poses Threat To Tuesday Morning Commute
A similar type scenario will play out for the Philly and I-95 corridor as well. Expect a wintry mix of sleet, rain and freezing rain until about lunchtime before a change over to all rain throughout the afternoon hours. Rain across South Jersey and Philly could be heavy at times during the day today. Flooding is not a major concern at this point though. As warmer air continues to push north through the region, a change from snow to a wintry mix and then finally to some rain will take place in areas north of the city. This change will take longer and will not be as drastic as in the Philly metro and south. Expect a better chance for icing in the Lehigh Valley and north/west suburbs, thanks to cold air at the surface holding on a bit longer. Once you reach the higher elevations of the Poconos and the more mountainous areas, the snow will be the main precipitation type until well into the later evening and overnight hours, where a change to a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain could take place. The best chance for additional accumulating snow this afternoon will be in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos.
This system will continue to roll through the region tonight and we should see a vast majority, if not all, of the precipitation end around 4 a.m. Wednesday. A few light lingering snow showers aren't totally ruled out on Wednesday, but those chances are slim and, in general, we are looking at a breezy and partly cloudy day tomorrow. If we do see any left over frozen precipitation it should not amount to anything at all more than just a nuisance. Temperatures will then climb on Thursday and Friday before another system could affect the region over the weekend.
Have a good day and stay safe outside!
