Coastal Storm Could Bring Snow To PA Friday Night, Forecasters Say

PENNSYLVANIA ? A clipper expected to transform into a coastal storm could bring wintry weather to Eastern Pennsylvania Friday night, including the chance of some snow.

According to AccuWeather, an "Alberta clipper" coming from the west will transform Friday as it nears the Northeast.

"How quickly the clipper storm's energy transfers to a budding coastal storm will have a detrimental impact on the intensity, duration and amount of snow that falls from the mid-Atlantic coast and central Appalachians through New England," according to AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin.

Motorists should be prepared for slippery travel in the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to New York City on Friday night, the forecasting agency warns.

The exact amount of snow that we can expect in the Philadelphia metro region is not yet clear, but The Weather Channel predicts, as of Wednesday, the total accumulation from this weather event will be less than an inch.

However, AccuWeather warns that the picture could change as the storm moves east. "Should the coastal storm strengthen fast enough and stay just offshore, heavy snow with strong winds and blowing and drifting snow associated with a nor'easter could unfold," forecasters with that agency said.

After the storm moves through, expect cold temperatures to linger through the weekend, although skies will be mainly clear. The overnight low from Saturday into Sunday will be in the teens.

Here is the local forecast, according to the National Weather Service:

Tonight: Rain, mainly before midnight. Patchy fog before 1am. Low around 35. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday: A slight chance of rain between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday night: A chance of rain and snow before 4 a.m, then a chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 28. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.

Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 15.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 28.