Skip to content
Weather
Link copied to clipboard

Philadelphia region under flood watch

Anywhere from 1.5 to 2 inches of rain could fall by tonight.

Rain falls on the 300 block of Market Street in December. A flood watch has been issued for the Philadelphia region for Thursday.
Rain falls on the 300 block of Market Street in December. A flood watch has been issued for the Philadelphia region for Thursday.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer

The Philadelphia region has been placed under a flood watch, with forecasts calling for 1½ to 2 inches of rain to fall by Thursday night.

Besides the flood watch, an advisory is set to go into effect at 1 a.m. Friday for minor tidal flooding at the the Shore and for areas bordering Delaware Bay and the Delaware River up to Bucks and Mercer counties.

Both the flood watch and coastal flood advisory expire at 6 a.m. Friday.

“Bands of moderate to heavy rain will develop across the region today, and will continue through tonight,” the National Weather Service said. “Urban, poor drainage, and small stream flooding may occur. In addition, rises on main stem rivers can be expected with the potential for some points to exceed flood stage.”

One consolation is that the projected rainfall totals would translate to 1.5 to 2 feet of snow if it were colder.

The weather service said tidal flooding is possible in Philadelphia at the Navy Yard and along Linden Avenue in the Northeast, as well as Spring Garden Street and Washington Avenue near the river.

Other possible flooding locations include Camden, West Deptford Township, Gloucester City, south Trenton, Hamilton Township, Burlington City, and Delran in South Jersey; Tinicum Township in Delaware County; and Bristol Township in Bucks County, forecasters said.

The weather service said it would issue more serious flood warnings if needed.

The forecast calls for a chance of showers Friday but more noticeable will be the expected winds out of the northwest at 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. The high temperature will be around 54 degrees.

There is no precipitation in the forecast for the weekend.

Saturday should by mostly sunny and breezy with a high around 50 degrees. On Sunday, the forecast calls for sunny skies and a high around 58.

There’s a chance of showers again on Monday.