While what\u2019s left of the of the season\u2019s first snowfall is likely to be gone with the wind, heavy rains, followed by winds gusting to 50 mph, could cause some commuting issues Friday.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service issued a 24-hour high-wind advisory<\/a> for the entire region for gusts to 50 mph that was to go in effect at 1 a.m. Friday. <\/p>\n The heaviest rains are expected to fall from the early-morning hours through midmorning, said Paul Fitzsimmons, a lead meteorologist at the weather service\u2019s Mount Holly office. <\/p>\n \u201cIt will be a little rough,\u201d he said. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see road-ponding, urban-type flooding.\u201d<\/p>\n With snow melt conspiring<\/a> with the rains to saturate the soils, SEPTA<\/a> is particularly concerned about the potential for uprooted trees along its Regional Rail lines, said media relations director Andrew Busch. <\/p>\n \u201cThe recipe for problems is there,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will have crews stationed across the system to respond quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Peco has heard the rumors, and while the utility is \u201cnot expecting impacts, we\u2019re gong to continue to monitor conditions,\u201c said Candice Womer, senior communications specialist.<\/p>\n The deciduous trees are mostly bare, so winds can sail through branches that are not weighed down with leaves, but the weather service advises that \u201csome power outages\u201d are possible.<\/p>\n An additional concern was the predicted wind shift, from southerly in the morning to westerly in the afternoon, and how that might stress vulnerable trees, Womer said. <\/p>\n What time are the heaviest rains and winds expected?<\/p>\n The weather service said heavy rains were expected between 8 and 11 a.m. <\/p>\n They would be accompanying a potent cold front that could generate \u201clocally damaging winds,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The gusts are likely to be localized in the morning, and \u201cthe widespread strong winds\u201d will occur in the afternoon, Fitzsimmons said. That would be after the front migrates through the region and winds become westerly, peaking in time for the afternoon commute. Gusts to 50 mph are possible.<\/p>\n Rain totals in the Philly area are expected to be in the 1-to-1.5-inch range, Fitzsimmons said.<\/p>\n No stream flooding is anticipated, however, as levels are quite low. Despite the snow and a decent soaking on Dec. 2, precipitation the last two months is only about 75% of normal throughout the region, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.<\/a><\/p>\n How dry we\u2019ve been <\/p>\n The gusts aside \u2014 not a trivial omission \u2014 this system should produce a \u201cbeneficial rain,\u201d the weather service notes.<\/p>\n A drought warning<\/a> remains in effect for all of New Jersey.<\/p>\n Water levels are so low that computer models show only about a 10% chance of streams reaching even the preflood \u201caction\u201d phase. <\/p>\n In the interagency U.S. Drought Monitor map posted Thursday morning, most of Philadelphia, adjacent South Jersey, and Chester County<\/a> were in the \u201csevere drought\u201d category, along with portions of Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. <\/p>\n Most of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were in at least \u201cabnormally dry\u201d conditions. <\/p>\n The forecast for the weekend<\/p>\n After the winds die down Friday evening, the region should be in for a dry but chilly weekend.<\/p>\n Temperatures during the day Friday are forecast to dive from a high in the 50s in the morning to the 30s by nightfall, and they won\u2019t get out of the 30s on Saturday. <\/p>\n Sunday\u2019s forecast high in the mid-40s would be close to normal for the date.<\/p>\n