Snow dusting is possible Friday, followed by a potential ‘much bigger deal’ Monday

» UPDATE: Philly region braces for some snow today, with more possible Monday

Following a less-than-snowy Christmas and a pretty wet New Year’s Eve, the Philadelphia region could be on track to see some snow early into 2025 — including a chance for several inches to accumulate Monday.

The first shot comes Friday afternoon, when forecasters expect possible snow showers to arrive in the area, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. For much of the region, that likely means “pretty much a dusting” of less than an inch of snow, said weather service meteorologist Alex Staarmann, though some areas south of the city could see an inch or two.

“It’s not going to be anything big, but it’s enough to get people excited,” Staarmann said. He added that the potential dusting could bring slippery roads and traffic headaches to some spots Friday afternoon. However, with high temperatures expected to remain well above freezing, whatever ends up falling is likely to struggle to accumulate.

That system is expected to move out the area late Friday night, ahead of an overall dry weekend. But starting Saturday, temperatures are expected to drop, with highs in the mid-30s and lows in the 20s.

And by the time the workweek rolls around, Monday could be bringing some real snow with it. While specific remain unclear, Staarmann said, Monday’s potential snowfall stands to be a “much bigger deal” than anything expected to come Friday.

The forecast was not settled as of Thursday afternoon, but weather models showed the Philadelphia region’s chances of getting more than four inches of snow at about 50%. And we have about a 30% chance of getting more than six inches of snow, according to current models, Staarmann said.

The weather service’s forecast had the probability of greater than an inch of snow hitting the Philly region between 60% and 80%.

What isn’t clear is where the heaviest bands of snowfall will set up, as we’re still a little too far out for forecasting models to accurately predict that. Initial weather models put the heaviest snow south of the Philadelphia area, but more recent trends indicated heavier snow would fall farther north than previously predicted, Staarmann said.

“So we’re getting more concerned about the impacts for the Philadelphia metro” on Monday, Staarmann added. “It will most likely be the most snow we’ve seen so far this season.” (Last month, some areas in the region reported receiving 3 inches of snow in a storm that hit just days before the winter solstice.)

Colder temperatures coming in over the weekend are likely to remain for a week or two, so expect chilly, blustery conditions for “the foreseeable future,” Staarmann said. And as a result, any significant accumulation Monday would hang around for a while due to the colder temps.

“Keep an eye on that Monday system, and prepare for a snowy start to the week,” Staarmann said.