Biggest snow of the week is possible for parts of Philly and South Jersey Friday night into Saturday

Etta Rochon, 6, does some body sledding down the hill in their front yard. Her mother, Britt Rochon, and sister Lola, 1, are above in their yard in Media on Tuesday.

Parts of Philadelphia and South Jersey that were snubbed by Tuesday’s snow may get a modest payback during the weekend.

Forecasters are confident that a storm will spin out some snow across the region late Friday night into Saturday, with 1 to 2 inches possible and Philly, South Jersey, and northern Delaware favored for the higher amounts.

“Near and south of Philly probably will see more snow than they saw” on Tuesday, said Alex Staarmann, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Philadelphia. “It will be falling at night, and it’s going to be a little bit colder.”

For parts of Philly on Tuesday, it was the case of the missing snow

One thing is all but certain: If it does snow, what lands won’t be nearly as waterlogged as what descended upon the city Tuesday.

Snow, or water ice?

While up to 10 inches fell upon outer Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties, officially 0.6 inches of snow was measured Tuesday at Philadelphia International Airport.

Why is Philly’s snow measured at Philadelphia International Airport

Places to the north and west were getting snow rates up to 2 inches an hour. PHL was getting it at the rate of an inch every seven hours.

The rain changed to snow around 7 a.m. at the airport, and the estimated precipitation total after the changeover was 0.2 inches.

Based on the standard snow-to-liquid ratios, on average that would have resulted in 2 to 3 inches of actual accumulated snow. Being on the urban heat island and closer to sea level than the hills to the north and west, the airport was a critical degree or two warmer than in the snowbelt.

Temperatures decrease with height, and as nearby as Roxborough, a neighborhood where elevations of 350 feet and more are common, 4-plus inches accumulated. Totals in the flatter lands of South Jersey generally were 1 to 1.5 inches.

Not much at all was sticking in Center City, South Philly, or the airport.

“The snow was melting as it was falling,” said Staarmann.

About the possible snow

This time the precipitation amount may be similar to what it was while the snow was falling Tuesday, but it would produce more snow.

A storm is due to track from the Tennessee Valley to the Virginia-North Carolina border and then off the coast. Being on the north side of the track, colder air will be in place than was the case on Tuesday, when the snow arrived after five consecutive days of 50-degree readings. The amount of snow that precipitation produces depends in part on temperature; the colder it is, the more snow.

Wednesday’s high of 40 degrees made it the coldest day of the month, believe it or not. Similar temperatures are expected the rest of the week.

The snow Friday night would occur with temperatures below freezing even at PHL.

Is the snow a done deal?

Ah, no.

The weather service says it is confident that some snow is going to happen, but not about the amounts.

It is due to begin very late Friday night or early Saturday and be over by noon.

Why Philly storm forecasts have been conflicting and constantly changing this winter

Will computer runs the next few days be all over the place about the outcome?

Will a snowball melt on a hot grill?

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