Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – A major winter storm is poised to deliver heavy snow, dangerous ice accumulation, and widespread travel disruption across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware from Saturday night through Monday morning, with impacts expected to be severe along the I-95 corridor.
According to the National Weather Service in Philadelphia/Mount Holly, confidence is high that much of the region will see a prolonged period of snow before mixing with sleet and freezing rain late Sunday, particularly south and east of Philadelphia. Snowfall totals of 8 to 18 inches are likely across eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey, with the highest amounts north and west of the city where snow remains dominant.
Farther south and closer to the coast, including Philadelphia, Wilmington, Trenton, and portions of South Jersey and Delmarva, increasing sleet and freezing rain may reduce snow totals but significantly worsen impacts. Ice accretion generally ranging from a tenth to a quarter inch is expected, enough to bring down tree limbs and power lines. Officials warn that areas experiencing heavier icing could face power outages lasting several days.
PennDOT and NJDOT caution that roads could become nearly impassable late Saturday night through Sunday, especially on I-95, I-76, the New Jersey Turnpike, and secondary roads. A flash freeze is also possible as colder air surges back in late Sunday night.
The storm will be followed by a dangerous stretch of Arctic cold into next week, prolonging impacts and slowing recovery. Warnings and advisories remain in effect, and additional upgrades are possible as the storm approaches.
