WEATHER ALERT: Slippery Evening Commute on Tap

By Kara Seymour

The Tuesday commute is expected to be a rough ride for drivers as yet another storm promises to soak the Philadelphia region on Tuesday.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected to cause travel problems Tuesday afternoon and night, according to the National Weather Service.

In parts of the Northeast, “ prolonged icing could lead to downed trees and power outages,’’ according to Accuweather.

A National Weather Service “Winter Weather Advisory” will go into effect at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Precipitation will start out as snow and sleet in the late afternoon but will change over to freezing rain Tuesday evening. Rain is predicted overnight.

The advisory will last until 1 a.m. Wednesday throughout the Philadelphia region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

Here’s what to expect:

• Less than an inch of snow and sleet is expected, and up to a tenth of an inch of ice is possible in parts of the state.
• Untreated surfaces will become icy, leading to hazardous travel conditions, the weather service said. Limited visibility is also expected.
• Untreated surfaces may be icy Tuesday morning because of overnight freezing, and slippery in the afternoon as sleet and snow begin to fall.Untreated roads and sidewalks may be slippery Tuesday morning because of overnight freezing temperatures, forecasters say.

More snow is expected Wednesday and Thursday, making for more rough commutes later this week.

Here’s the hour-by-hour forecast, according to the National Weather Service:

• Tuesday: Snow likely before 4 p.m., then snow and sleet. High near 30. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Total daytime snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
• Tuesday night: Freezing rain and sleet before 8 p.m., then freezing rain between 8 and 10 p.m., then rain after 10 p.m. Temperature rising to around 37 by 4 a.m. South wind 9 to 11 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Little or no ice accumulation expected. New sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
• Wednesday: Rain. High near 44. West wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
• Wednesday night: Rain and snow before 11 p.m., then snow and sleet between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., then snow after 2 a.m.. Low around 26. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
• Thursday: Snow, mainly before 1pm. High near 29. North wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.