Weekend Storm Could Bring Winter Weather To Eastern PA

Forecasters are eyeing a weekend storm that could deliver some winter weather to Pennsylvania. The system, if it shapes up as predicted, could bring a chance of rain and snow on both Friday and Sunday in the Philadelphia suburbs. It will also mean a rainy Saturday.

The creation of the storm, a low-pressure system, depends on whether energy from two jet streams can team up, The Weather Channel notes. The intensity, timing and track of system remain uncertain, and still depend on how much cold air will be available, forecasters said.

"We are confident there is a storm coming, but there is a question as to how strong it will become, and that strength has significant impact on the amount and extent of rain and snow in the Eastern states in general, but especially for the Northeast," AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Currently, forecasters with the National Weather Service predict a slight chance of rain and snow on Friday morning, then just a chance of rain. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.

From there, the system will deliver mostly rain on Friday evening and Saturday.

Again on Sunday morning, if temperatures are cold enough, there is a chance of snow in the Philadelphia suburbs. The National Weather Service said if there is snow, it will likely be before 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Otherwise, later in the day expect partly sunny skies, with a high near 43.

Here is AccuWeather's current prediction for the storm scenario:

Rayno said there is a possible scenario that the storm strengthens rapidly over the Northeast. In that case, "the rate of snowfall and total accumulation may be quite heavy over the mountains and a change to snow or a wintry mix can creep into interior valley locations and creep into the northern and western suburbs of the major I-95 cities."

Check back for updates as the weekend gets closer.