Up to 3 inches of snow fell in the Philly region Saturday, but the city’s historic snow-deprivation streak continues

Parts of the Philly region on Saturday saw their first shovel-fuls of snow in almost two years, but the record snow-deprivation streak continues for the city. Yet another major storm looms, threatening the entire region with “significant” flooding midweek.

As much as 3 inches of snow was measured in northwestern Chester County, the National Weather Service reported, but what had been a decorative snow cover in some places mutated to a veneer of slop as the rain changeover line surged aggressively northwest in the afternoon.

The National Weather Service’s winter weather advisory for the far northern and western suburbs was canceled at 9:20 p.m. It is possible that the precipitation could change back to snow during the early-morning hours Sunday, said Amanda Lee, a meteorologist at the agency’s Mount Holly office, but little or no accumulation was expected.

Heavy snow was falling in upstate Pennsylvania and New York state Saturday, and that could be of some consequence for the Philadelphia region on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Ryan Adamson, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., in State College, which had several inches of snow.

The weather service has been warning for days that a significant midweek rainstorm, with rainfall totals of two to four inches, could precipitate major flooding in the Philadelphia region.

In its five-day outlook posted Saturday, the weather service’s Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center said the entire Delaware Basin could experience a general four inches of rain during the period, with some areas getting even more. The river center has the entire region under a “significant” flood threat.

What’s potentially more ominous, said Adamson, is that “you’re going to have snow melt atop the heavy rain. All that will contribute to the flood risk.”

Power outages also will be in play.

In addition to sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts perhaps to 45 mph and maybe 60 at the Shore, with the ground saturated after nearly eight inches of rain in December and a fresh soaking this weekend, some trees might be coming down and taking power lines with them, he said.

The latest rounds of precipitation should be winding down Sunday morning, meteorologists said, and. Philadelphia’s record snow-deprivation streak remains intact. Not an inch of snow has been measured in Philly officially since Jan. 29, 2022.

The city did see some flakes on Saturday. Snow had crept into the region by noon, a little ahead of the forecast schedule, and moderate snow fell for a time north and west of the city.

Major roads in the outer suburbs were brined Friday night, said PennDOT spokesperson Brad Rudolph, and no significant traffic problems were reported.

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“This is a classic coastal storm,” said Sarah Johnson, the warning-coordination meteorologist at the Weather Service office in Mount Holly, and that helps explain why Philly, South Jersey, and Delaware got rain.

The storm generated onshore winds that imported warmer air overlying the ocean. Sea surface temperatures off Atlantic City were in the mid-40s Saturday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, several degrees above January normals.

Areas farther inland in the interior Northeast experienced a major snowstorm. Johnson said up to a foot was possible in the Poconos.

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Overall, from one to two inches of precipitation was expected to have fallen before it all shuts off..

As for when that snow drought might end, said Adamson: “There’s plenty of winter to go.”