As 2026 arrives, Philly is in for a cold — but less windy — New Year’s
Heading out to some New Year's Eve festivities in the Philly region? Make sure you bundle up.
After Tuesday’s blustery weather, the Philadelphia region is in for calmer weather on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — but if you’re heading out to celebrate the holiday, be sure to bundle up.
As 2025 gives way to 2026, temperatures are expected to top out in the low to mid-30s Wednesday and Thursday, running roughly 5 to 10 degrees below normal for this time of year, said Alex Staarmann, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly. Wind chills from expected breezy weather midweek, meanwhile, will make it feel even colder, likely down into the 20s.
“It will be cold and breezy for the [Mummers] parade on Thursday, but nothing significant otherwise,” Staarmann said. “Just dress warmly.”
That’s something of a relief following Monday and Tuesday’s windy weather, which saw wind gusts topping 50 mph amid a wind advisory that was extended until at least 4 p.m. The strongest winds came late Monday, with gusts hitting 60 mph at Philadelphia International Airport just after 8 p.m., according to weather service data.
Wind on Wednesday — New Year’s Eve — is expected to abate significantly, with sustained speeds up to 15 mph and gusts topping out at 25 mph, Staarmann said. Thursday — New Year’s Day — will be similarly breezy, with gusts topping out at 30 mph on top of sustained wind in the 15- to 20-mph range.
That cold and wind will be accompanied by slight chances of snow showers or flurries, though no accumulation is expected. The best chance for snow showers comes overnight Wednesday into Thursday, when forecasters give Philadelphia about a 40% chance of snow. But as of midday Tuesday, the possibility of any snow was somewhat unlikely.
There was likewise a small possibility of some flurries early Wednesday morning, but Staarmann pegged the potential there at about 20%. Likewise, no accumulation was expected.
“We could maybe get a small chance of a dusting, but there are not great chances of that, and nothing significant,” Staarmann said. “If anything, just flurries to maybe a light dusting.”
Lacking any significant winter weather, holiday revelers heading to Philadelphia’s first New Year’s Eve concert Wednesday are likely in the clear, aside from the cold. The concert, set to begin at 8 p.m. on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, will feature performances by LL Cool J, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Los Angeles rock band Dorothy, and Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate Adam Blackstone.
Folks heading to Thursday’s Mummers Parade are likely to see similar weather. Those festivities are set to kick off at 9 a.m., as more than 10,000 performers hit Philly’s streets for the day’s celebrations.
As the week wears on, the weather for the first days of 2026 is expected to be “fairly uneventful,” according to weather service forecasts. Cold weather, however, is likely to stick around, with highs mostly in the 30s and lows in the teens and 20s.