Wind gusts of 40 mph are possible during the Eagles’ playoff game Sunday. Kickers beware.
In between gusts, steady winds of 20 mph are expected, but it evidently won't be playing favorites.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott has had some issues this season, and on Sunday he may be confronting a formidable foe — the atmosphere.
While a “soaking rain” is due on Saturday, the precipitation is expected to shut off before game time Sunday, when a strong cold front is forecast to incite winds perhaps gusting 40 mph during the Eagles-49ers playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.
The winds evidently won’t be taking sides: The stadium’s orientation is more or less north-south, and the winds will be blowing from the west and then “swirling around in the Linc,” said Matt Benz, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.
In any event, they won’t be much help to the quarterbacks or the kickers — San Francisco’s Eddy Piñeiro or Elliott, whose 74.1% field goal percentage this season was the second-lowest of his nine-year career. Piñeiro hit on 28 of 29 attempts.
Temperatures at the 4:30 p.m. kickoff are expected to be in the mid-40s and drop into the upper 30s during the game, and steady winds of 20 mph may drive wind chills into the upper 20s.
“At least it will be dry,” said Benz.
That won’t be the case around here Saturday.
The winds are to follow some drought-easing rains
After temperatures again climb well into the 50s on Friday, showers are possible at night, but the rains will be more “widespread” on Saturday, said Zach Cooper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly.
No severe weather is expected, although rumbles of thunder are at least possible, he said.
Said Benz, “It’s going to be soaking rain Saturday afternoon into the evening.”
While rainfall amounts remain uncertain, about an inch was likely, the weather service said. Given the local rain deficits and the low water levels in the streams, no flooding was expected.
In the interagency U.S. Drought Monitor weekly update posted Thursday, the entire region is classified as either “abnormally dry” or in “moderate drought.” A drought warning remains in effect for all of New Jersey.
In the last 60 days, precipitation deficits across the region range from 20% to nearly 40%, according to data from the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.
The only precipitation measured this month at Philadelphia International Airport, all of 0.1 inches, came from a dusting of snow on New Year’s Day.
Snow prospects are not exactly robust
Rain is possible the middle of next week, but the extended forecast remains flakeless, in least in the reliable range.
Temperatures on Monday will top out near 40 degrees, close to normal for the date, and reach the mid and upper 40s Tuesday and Wednesday. Another cooldown is expected late next week.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has chances favoring below-normal temperatures in the Northeast in the Jan. 16-22 period, which would be approaching the season’s climatological peak snow season.
As for winter storm potential, its Thursday afternoon discussion that accompanied the extended outlook foresaw “an overall more active pattern.”