Most snow, school closings north of city

A west-to-east winter storm, expected to bring several inches of snow to outlying parts of the Philadelphia area, has prompted some school closings in Bucks County.

Closed today are the Pennridge School District, Plumstead Christian School, Quakertown Christian School, Quakertown Community School District, St. Isidore School, St. Luke Nursery School, United Friends School, Upper Bucks Christian School and Upper Bucks Vo-Tech School, according to NBC10.com.

As of 9 a.m., a radar map showed snow was falling near Allentown and Bethlehem, while a mix of snow, sleet and rain had moved as far south as Hatboro.

Mostly rain, however, was falling in areas south of Reading.

The revised forecast calls for this basic pattern to persist, with only an inch or two of snow expected in far northern parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties, and perhaps two to four inches in northern Bucks County.

"I don't think you're going to see the heavy snow amounts until you get farther north," said meteorologist Bob Wanton of the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly.

The Lehigh Valley, the Poconos and North Jersey can expect mostly snow, with up to a half-foot or more of accumulation.

Earlier forecasts put the line for snow and sleet perhaps 20 or 30 miles too far south, he said.

Warmer-than-expected air was ahead of the system "still way out in the Midwest," he said about 9:30 a.m.

The storm is expected to bring three to five inches of snow and sleet to the northern parts of Chester, Montgomery and Bucks Counties, according to a National Weather Service advisory.

Lehigh County and the Poconos could get twice as much snow - and those areas have more cancellations.

No accumulation was predicted for Philadelphia, Delaware County and South Jersey.

Motorists were advised to be cautious throughout the area, since roads are expected to be slippery.

For more on the forecast, go to http://go.philly.com/forecast.