Arctic blast brings light snow, winter-like weekend

Unseasonably cold weather is headed our way, including morning temperatures that could be at freezing in Philadelphia’s suburbs this weekend

    By
  • NBC10
    • May 8, 2020

This story originally appeared on NBC10.

Brrr … don’t put those sweaters and fuzzy socks away yet.

Unseasonably cold weather is headed our way, including morning temperatures that could be at freezing in Philadelphia’s suburbs this weekend. Some areas may even see a wintry mix and possible snow flurries.

Friday starts sunny, but clouds will move in and so will the rain. Much of the area will see a soaking rain late afternoon and through the evening.

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As the rain ends, the temperatures will drop, so there is a chance the rain will end with light snow.

“One of the coldest air masses that we’ve really ever seen in the month of May coming in Friday night through Sunday Morning,” said First Alert Weather meteorologist Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz.

After reaching temperatures in the 50s Friday afternoon, it will feel like the 20s early Saturday as a piece of a Polar Vortex dips across the eastern United States.

“It is not going to feel like Mother’s Day, that is for sure. It’s going to feel almost like winter out there,” Schwartz said.

On Saturday, it will be a winter-like day with highs not even reaching 50 degrees. The lows could break records across the area and some areas could see snow as a system moves through.

If it snows in Philadelphia on Saturday, it would be historic. The latest snowfall recorded in the city was on May 8, 1898. Weather records date back to 1872.

Here’s what to expect through the Mother’s Day weekend:

FRI: Increasing clouds and cool. Showers likely during the afternoon and evening. High 57

SAT: A winter-like day. Cold gusty wind, 40 to 50 mph. A chance of brief rain and snow showers. High 49

SUN: Cold morning, then partly sunny & breezy. High 63

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