PHILADELPHIA, PA – A biting 27°F start greets Philadelphia this early Friday as gray skies and still air mark the region’s quiet but stubborn entry into early December’s cold grip. The city feels locked in winter’s first steady hold — a season arriving more by chill than by storm, yet one that already carries the look of December on the pavement and windshields.
According to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, a weak disturbance will brush the Delaware Valley today and again late tonight, bringing a slight chance of snow — up to one inch possible in the colder suburbs north and west of the city. Roads across Montgomery, Bucks, and northern Chester Counties may turn slick as temperatures hover near freezing. Drivers should plan for slower conditions on I-95, I-76, and Route 1 during the afternoon and after sunset.
By Saturday, clouds thin but cold lingers. Highs reach the lower 40s, but calm winds and dry air keep that crisp, almost still feeling in the city. Sunday stays partly sunny with highs near 41°F before temperatures slide again Sunday night to around 27°F — enough to refreeze puddles and slush from earlier flurries, creating isolated black-ice patches by Monday’s commute.
Residents are urged to use caution on untreated surfaces and allow extra travel time, especially early mornings through the weekend. Keep gloves handy, charge devices, and avoid sudden braking on shaded or elevated roads.
Meteorologists are also eyeing a larger pattern shift between December 11–17, when models suggest colder air and renewed lake-effect snow could spill into the mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes — an early holiday travel concern worth watching.
How’s your drive shaping up this weekend? Share what conditions you’re seeing across the region.
Five-Day Forecast for Philadelphia, PA:
Fri: 32/27 – Mostly cloudy; slight snow chance mid-day and evening.
Sat: 43/28 – Partly sunny, cold; light breeze.
Sun: 41/27 – Partly sunny; icy spots possible early and late.
Mon: 34/19 – Sunny and brisk; true December chill.
Tue: 38/30 – Partly sunny; calm, cold pattern holds.
