Windy and much colder in Philadelphia region as winter solstice begins. Here's the forecast.
Winter arrived in style at 4:21 a.m. Saturday. It followed Friday night's storm which blanketed much of the area in snow, mainly on grassy areas and elevated surfaces.
Snow totals ranged from 2-5" in the Poconos, 1-3" in the Pennsylvania and South Jersey suburbs, and a coating to 1.5" along I-95 and Philadelphia. Officially, we received 0.10" at Philadelphia International Airport, which is the first measurable snowfall for the city since Feb. 17.
Behind the storm, today you can expect bright sunshine and scattered flurries. Northwest winds will gust to 25 mph and cold Arctic air will slide across the region leaving today through Monday as the coldest stretch of the season so far.
Saturday highs will be either side of freezing with wind chills in the 20s. Meanwhile tonight, we dip into the teens with wind chills in the single digits.
As northwest winds increase by the afternoon, lake effect snow bands may form and reach as far east as the Poconos and Lehigh Valley.
By the way, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, with only a little more than nine hours of sunshine.
By Sunday morning, temperatures will drop to the teens. Despite bright sunshine, we will only rebound to the mid and upper 20s by the afternoon. This will be the coldest day of the season so far.
Monday morning, you will need extra layers and extra time to warm up the car as temperatures will range from 8 to 13 degrees. Highs will hover near freezing under sunny skies.
Please make sure to provide your pets with a warm and dry place, preferably indoors. They are not used to the frigid arctic air any more than we are.
Tuesday, Christmas Eve, skies will be cloudy and a brief wintry mix is possible before sunrise. Highs will still be cold, topping out in the upper 30s.
On Wednesday, Christmas Day, highs will reach 40 under partly sunny skies. Hanukkah begins Wednesday night with partly cloudy skies.
Thursday is the first day of Kwanzaa and will be mostly sunny and seasonable in the low 40s.
Here's your 7-day weather forecast
Saturday: [Winter begins] Sunny, breezy. High 34, Low 17.
Sunday: Coldest yet. High 27, Low 17.
Monday: Bitter cold. High 33, Low 12.
Tuesday: Early AM mix. High 38, Low 24.
Wednesday: Partly sunny. High 40, Low 27.
Thursday: Partly sunny. High 42, Low 26.
Friday: Partly sunny. High 45, Low 28.
