Winter weather coming to Philly: Timing, forecast and how much snow to expect

PHILADELPHIA - The temperature roller coaster of this week continues to plummet, while the region braces for snow on the way.

A clipper system is making it way to the area, diving into the Delaware and Lehigh vallies Friday while it mixes with a coastal low that will grab enough moisture for a rain and snow event.

Clouds will overtake the area overnight, setting up a rainfall scenario for Friday morning on the I-95 corridor, South Jersey and parts of Delaware, while snow begins to take hold in the outer suburbs of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties.

By 3 p.m. Friday, everyone on the Pennsylvania side should be seeing snow, or a rain/snow mix, while South Jersey and Delaware continue to see rain. Wet snow should be falling into the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos should see all snow.

By Friday evening, all locations should see the rain switch over to wet snow and all snow in the north and west.

The Poconos could likely see up to three inches of snow, with the Lehigh Valley seeing an inch. The collar counties will perhaps see a coating, with Philly, South Jersey and Delaware seeing wet snow and rain.

Temps will hold in the upper 30s throughout the rain/snow event in the Philly area Friday.

Saturday will see temperatures plunge and the wind pick up, coming out of the northwest at 18 to 20 mph. The high Saturday is not expected to reach above freezing and with that wind, it will be very cold.

Overnight into Sunday, temps fall further, hitting a low of 16. Sunday, temps may not make it out of the 20s, with Monday persisting just as cold.

Temps begin to climb out of the basement Christmas Eve, while Christmas Day should see partly cloudy skies and temps rebounding into the 40s.