Snow forecast: Heavy in Philly, heavier elsewhere

Expect heavy snow - at times falling an inch an hour - starting tomorrow night and continuing through the day on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds could also become a concern, especially near the Shore, hampering visibility and causing drifting.

The forecast has folks around the region reconsidering plans. Camden has already announced early dismissals for students tomorrow, and Cumberland County canceled its yearly Winter Eagle Festival, scheduled for Saturday morning.

Philadelphia could get six inches to a foot of snow - without getting the worst of it, according to meteorologist Anthony Gigi of the service's office in Mount Holly.

Perhaps a foot and a half could fall in Cape May County, southern Delaware, parts of Maryland and northern Virginia, but if the track moves a little north - and it might - Philadelphia might get the max, he said.

[Update: As of midafternoon, AccuWeather was warning the the storm could be worse than previously suspected, and the weather service had issued Winter Storm and Blizzard Warnings. See link at right to "An even scarier forecast: 'Paralyzing.' "]

Areas to the north and west of the city are likely to get less, with under a half-foot likely in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, Gigi said.

On the bright side, no sleet or freezing rain is likely.

Expect to see a kind of double-whammy, Gigi said. Tomorrow's afternoon rush might get some snow, but the heavy stuff is likely to arrive tomorrow night, perhaps tapering Saturday morning. Then a second wave could bring more inches of white stuff Saturday night, before the system finishes Saturday night.

In terms of water content, this storm could rival the one that dumped more than 20 inches of light, fluffy snow on Dec. 19 and 20.

With temperatures closer to freezing, the snow is likely to be wetter and heavier - tougher to move with plows and snowblowers.

But better for making snowmen?

"That's what my daughter was asking me, too," Gigi said. " . . . On a snowman-making scale this one should be a better event."

Cold weather will follow, so expect this snow to last, he said.

Perhaps long enough for the next storm, possibly on Tuesday, to add another layer.

"There is probably going to be another snow event in the middle of next week," Gigi said. "This one doesn't look as heavy."

It's too early to wonder about the following weekend, but storms do seem to be developing every three or four days, fueled in part by the unusually warm Pacific waters known as El Niño.

"This is the month for snowstorms to shine during El Niño winters, and it doesn't look like February is going to disappoint," Gigi said.

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