Rains in Philly set 2 records, and flood warnings remain in effect, along with a wind advisory

March days around here have been snowier, icier, colder, warmer, and certainly more traumatic, but none have been as wet in Philadelphia as March 23, 2024.

By midafternoon, 3.09 inches of rain had been measured officially at Philadelphia International Airport, the highest total for any March day in 150 years of recordkeeping. It also was a daily record, the National Weather Service reported, by plenty.

Although the rains shut off earlier than had been predicted, the totals — generally 2 to 3.5 inches — came close to the forecasted amounts, and several flood warnings and advisories remained in effect, along with a wind advisory in effect until 8 a.m. Sunday for gusts to 50 mph.

In Chester, rescue workers were searching for a missing 6-year-old who last was seen near the Chester Creek in the Delaware County city about 8 p.m., hours after the creek had crested past flood stage, one of several waterways to spill their banks Saturday.

» READ MORE: What to know about the Love Run

After the rains stopped, the winds howled, with gusts up to 48 mph. in the region.

Cold winds will be an unwelcome challenge for the estimated 12,000 people expected to participate in the half-marathon/7K Philadelphia Love Run, which gets underway at 7:30 a.m. And it won’t be pleasant for the spectators. Lingering gusts up to 30 mph are expected, with wind chills in the upper teens and low 20s.

However, the winds are “going to be a saving grace for areas north and west,” said Bill Deger, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. Temperatures out that way are forecast to drop below freezing early Sunday, but the winds are likely to dry out the streets before they can ice over, he said.

Also, he said, the region likely was catching a break with the fact that the trees haven’t yet leafed out, which would have made them more susceptible to wind damage and, thus, power outages.

“It tends to be more of an issue when there is more weight on the trees,” he said.

Downpours resulted in numerous road and lane closings, including flood-prone Route 130 near 551 in Brooklawn. Rains forced lane closings on some portions of the New Jersey Turnpike.

» READ MORE: Brooklawn Circle floods have locals wondering if new remediation efforts will hold water

The weather service said no major flooding had occurred or was expected, although minor flooding was reported on several streams in the region, and a warning for minor flooding was in effect for the Schuylkill River from Norristown to Philadelphia for early Sunday.

But, overall, the disruptions weren’t in a league with some other March storms or the rains from some tropical-storm remnants.

The airport reported that 18 departing or arriving flights out of 700 had been canceled Saturday, said spokesperson Heather Redfern, or about 2.5%. SEPTA detoured some buses during the heaviest rains, said spokesperson Andrew Busch, but didn’t suspend any services.

» READ MORE: El Niño has been a player during these last few wet and snow-deprived months

The rain totals in Philly topped the old daily record for March rainfall, 2.79 inches, set back in 1912. It also was way over the old record for a March 23, 1.36 inches, set in 2015.

Deger said the storm, which tracked right along the coast, mined moisture from two familiar sources.

“It tapped into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and as it moved up the coast it took a little more from the Atlantic,” he said. Sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic have been running well above normal, increasing the available moisture supply.

At least the Love Run participants will have a sunny and dry race, but Deger says it’s likely to be tougher on the spectators than the runners. The winds will die down later on, and temperatures will top out at 50, a few degrees below normal.

Rain chances increase again Wednesday, and on Thursday: That’s when the Phillies are scheduled to host the Atlanta Braves in the season opener.

» READ MORE: Last year the Phillies postponed the opener, and a lot of fans weren't happy

Staff writer Vinny Vella contributed to this article.