Philly forecast calls for more than a foot of snow to fall Sunday into Monday

Philadelphia and its suburbs are forecast to receive 14 to 18 inches of snow beginning Sunday and continuing into Monday, with weather prediction models sharpening their focus as the storm approaches.

When all is said and done, the total snowfall may be close to 14 inches in the city, and could surpass 18 inches at the Jersey Shore, where high winds are forecast to create blizzard conditions, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service has issued a winter storm warning for the Philly region and a blizzard warning for the Shore.

“It does look like it’s going to be quite an impactful storm for the whole [I-]95 corridor and further east,” said Sarah Johnson, warning coordination meteorologist at the weather service’s Mount Holly office.

This will lead to potentially dangerous driving conditions starting Sunday into Monday. And the Shore and Delaware Bay could experience flooding during high tide Sunday evening.

While forecasters saw trouble brewing for several days, it was not clear how heavily the storm would affect Philadelphia, Johnson said.

“Pretty much throughout the week, we were aware that there was going to be this storm system off the coast. The question was just going to be how close to the coast it came,” she said.

The storm is expected to begin with a mix of snow and rain Sunday morning, with the potential for only rain falling before dawn. By early to midafternoon, that is forecast to change over entirely to snow, Johnson said.

The winter storm warning is in effect from 7 a.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday.

“We are also going to be seeing some gusty winds with the heaviest snow amounts,” Johnson said. Wind speeds of up to 40 mph late Sunday and early Monday have the potential to cause blowing and drifting snow that may make it difficult to keep roads clear, according to the weather service.

Gusts at the Shore could reach 50 mph, with the blizzard warning there in effect from 1 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday.

Johnson emphasized that whatever the storm brings, it will be significant for Philadelphia.

“The period that we are most concerned about in terms of both snow rates and wind is Sunday evening through the morning on Monday,” she said.

And in contrast to the very low temperatures for days after the Jan. 25 storm that dumped a foot of snow in areas around Philly, temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Monday afternoon.

Higher temperatures later in the week may help melt the snow, as opposed to the long-lasting snowpack after the January storm.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill urged residents in their states to stay off the roads during the storm.

On social media, Shapiro said state agencies are prepared to respond to the weather in Eastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Sherrill on Saturday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

She said at an afternoon news conference that it was the first time since 2022 that the National Weather Service had issued a blizzard warning along the coastline.

The state of emergency will go into effect at noon Sunday.

“I know we just got through a historic winter storm just a few weeks ago — we all did it together by heeding warnings, staying off the roads, and taking public safety seriously,” Sherrill said. “Now we have another serious winter storm on our hands, and my top priority is your safety.”

Officials urged people to stock up on essentials ahead of the storm, keep electronics like cell phones charged, and avoid driving once the snowfall begins.

Sherrill advised New Jerseyans to stay home and suggested watching the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team play for gold Sunday, doing a puzzle, and eating chili.

Staff writer Stephen Stirling contributed to this article.