Philadelphia weather is getting very cold, with icy roads possible and flooding at the Shore

Last-minute shoppers held on to their hats — and holiday travelers watched for slick roads, as an arctic cold front was passing through the Philly region Friday and Saturday, bringing whipping winds, frigid temperatures, and dangerous icing conditions.

A winter weather advisory and wind chill advisories were in effect until Friday evening, meteorologists said, with mild winter temperatures dropping precipitously throughout the day and expected to hit single digits overnight. Parts of the region also remained under a coastal flood warning, with some Shore towns hit with floodwaters. On Friday morning, authorities in Egg Harbor Township evacuated guests from hotels along Black Horse Pike due to major flooding.

“We have that arctic front coming through right now,” said Cameron Wunderlin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. “Some pretty substantial cold temperatures are going to be coming throughout the day”

Most rain and snow ended Friday afternoon, but forecasters feared the fast-dropping temperatures and flooding could cause dangerous icing.

“The winter weather advisory is mostly for the wind and what we call a flash freeze,” Wunderlin said. “That is something we are concerned about — the flash freeze potential for any type of water that’s leftover.”

Peak winds of up to 60 mph hit Philadelphia and South Jersey early Friday. Lighter, periodic winds were expected into Saturday, with wind gusts up to 30 mph.

By Friday afternoon, Peco reported over 15,000 outages across the region due to winds knocking down tree limbs and power lines, said Madison Davis, a spokesperson for the utility. Chester County had been impacted the most by the outages, she said, with over 8,000 homes without power. Bucks and Montgomery Counties were also hard hit.

“Our emergency response is activated and our field crews are working as quickly and safely as possible,” David said, adding that though high winds could delay their efforts, power should be restored quickly.

Over 6,000 PSEG customers have also reported their power is out, with Burlington and Mercer Counties seeing the most outages.

Rebecca Mazzarella, a PSEG spokesperson, said customers can check the company’s online map of outages for any information on their areas.

The National Weather Service reported coastal flooding along the Shore.

On Friday morning, rescue units in Egg Harbor Township used a military-grade vehicle to evacuate 30 guests from four flooded motels along the Black Horse Pike. No injuries were reported but the American Red Cross responded to help those affected. And authorities towed abandoned vehicles stuck in flood waters.

The water receded by midmorning, but the Black Horse Pike remained closed in both directions between Athens Avenue and Bayport Drive. More flooding was expected in the evening, when high tide hit, authorities said, urging travelers to use alternate routes.

The weather will remain frightful through Christmas.

Temperatures plunged by the hour Friday, from balmy readings in the 50s early in the morning to a gusty 24 degrees by late afternoon to an expected overnight low of 8 degrees.

Forget a white Christmas, but it will be a cold one.

Christmas Eve should see a high of 19 degrees, Wunderlin said, with the wind chill making it feel more like single digits.

“It’s going to feel pretty cold,” he said.