Light snow falls in the Philly area, with several inches possible Monday
The system coming Sunday into Monday could bring 4 to 6 inches of snow to the Philly area, but it remains uncertain exactly how much will fall and where.
With a light snow that arrived in the Philadelphia region amid rush hour Friday, forecasters are looking toward what appears to be a more impactful storm hitting the area just in time for the start of the work week.
That round of snow is expected to arrive in the region late Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. Forecasters remained unsure of exactly how much snow might fall, and precisely where larger totals would occur, but at least some “light to moderate” accumulation is likely Monday, said Nick Guzzo, a meteorologist with the weather service.
The Philadelphia metro area in general is likely to see 4 to 6 inches of snow before the storm departs late Monday, according to the weather service’s late Friday afternoon forecast. Where the heaviest bands of snowfall will set up remains uncertain, but some areas could see 6 to 8 inches or more, depending on where the storm sets up, the weather service said.
Either way, with temperatures expected to fall to highs in the mid-30s in the coming days, whatever snow we get between Friday and Monday is likely to stick around for quite a while.
“It’s going to stay on the colder side, so I wouldn’t expect too much melting” between potential snowfalls, Guzzo said.
The storm forecast for Sunday into Monday comes following snowfall Friday afternoon that prompted a winter weather advisory for Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and northern Delaware. The weather service had expected a dusting to 1 or 2 inches of snow for the region Friday, Guzzo said.
» READ MORE: Snow day or virtual learning? With wintry weather in the forecast Monday, how will school districts decide?
Ahead of Friday’s snow, PennDot sent out trucks early in the day to brine major roadways in the Philadelphia area — such as interstates 476, 76, 422, and 95 — to stave off slippery conditions for commuters, spokesperson Robyn Briggs said.
PennDot will adopt a similar approach Sunday, with crews scheduled for dispatch early in the morning in advance of the storm. They will again brine roads prior to the expected snowfall, Briggs said.
Still, Briggs reminded motorists who have to travel amid snowfall to slow down and give themselves extra time to get to their destination for safety’s sake. Slower travel, she said, is “probably your best friend out on the roads in inclement weather.”
The PennDot district that covers the Philadelphia region has 182 trucks capable of preparing the area’s roadways for winter storms. If needed, the agency can also access an additional 250 trucks as part of its relationships with area contractors.
“You never know what the weather will bring,” Briggs said.