Biggest snow of season; more coming?
An entire half-inch of snow - and a surprise at that - was measured officially in Philadelphia on Sunday.
An entire half-inch of snow - and a surprise at that - was measured officially in Philadelphia on Sunday.
And while that's not saying much, the fact that it was the biggest snowfall of the season speaks eloquently to the state of the snow-deprived winter of 2015-16. It was the first official snow of the season, marking the ninth-longest wait for a first snow in the 132-year period of record.
But the modest snowfall might signal significant changes: Computer models see a far more significant threat for the weekend, and an unofficial snow-panic watch is in effect.
"Friday into Saturday, a winter storm is likely," the National Weather Service said in its late-day forecast discussion Sunday, with "a possibility of significant snowfall."
But keep in mind that it's only Monday, and nothing is more efficient at removing snow threats than a computer.
"It's still a little bit of an uncertainty," said the weather service's Dean Iovino.
Sunday's snow, itself, illustrated that the atmosphere still can be chary with its secrets.
At daybreak, weather forecasters said that a storm off the coast could produce some light snow in southern Delaware and at the Shore, but that it wouldn't stick. No more than clouds were expected in the immediate Philadelphia area.
But the storm's northwestern flank turned out to be juicier than expected. Atlantic City ended up with 2.8 inches, a record for a Jan. 17, said Iovino's colleague at the Mount Holly office, Valerie Meola. Up to 3 inches was measured in southern Delaware.
Philadelphia's 0.5 inches has clinched 131st place on the all-time list, behind 1997-98, 0.8 inches for the season, and '72-'73, a trace.
Late Sunday, the city announced that it had dispatched 14 trucks as a precautionary measure.
The weather service warned that the workweek would be wintry. Along with temperatures no higher than the upper 20s Monday and Tuesday, northwest winds gusting to 45 m.p.h. were possible, along with a period of light snow Wednesday night.
No matter what happens, most schools will be closed Monday - in honor of Martin Luther King's Birthday.
Editor's Note: This story was revised to correct the years of the current winter.
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