The Philadelphia metro area is in for a mixed bag of weather in the coming days, with potential thunderstorms and a "increased risk for rapid fire spread this afternoon." Today's highs are expected to reach near 79 degrees with partly sunny skies and southerly winds hitting 5 to 10 mph, and gusts that may climb as high as 20 mph, according to NWS Philadelphia. As the day progresses, a chance of showers will emerge, escalating to showers and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. The night's low will hover around 62 degrees, maintaining those southern gusts.
Heading into the weekend, Saturday is forecasted to have showers likely complemented by the potential of a thunderstorm before noon, following with scattered showers and thunderstorms thereafter. It's a typical spring scenario with mostly cloudy skies, and mild temperatures reaching a high near 78. There's a 70% chance of precipitation, so have an umbrella on standby. By Saturday night, chances of showers drop significantly to 20%, providing some respite as the skies start to clear up.
Come Sunday, we'll be granted a reprieve under mostly sunny conditions and a high around 65 degrees, which is decent weather for any outdoor plans made to close out the weekend. The winds, now from the northwest, will persist at 10 to 15 mph, with gusts possibly surging up to 25 mph. Into Sunday night, skies remain mostly clear with the low settling around 48, ensuring a brisk end to the day.
Continuing the weather rollercoaster, Monday shines bright with full-on sunshine and a pleasant high near 74 degrees. Those clear skies hold steady through the evening as temperatures dip modestly to a low around 51. During the week, Tuesday boasts of high temperatures projecting to reach 81 degrees under mostly sunny skies.
Special notice should be taken, especially today, regarding the risk of fires. With dry conditions and winds capable of fanning even the smallest of embers, the National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement highlighting an enhanced risk of fire spread across parts of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. "Minimum relative humidity values will be around 25 to 35 percent combined with southerly winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts near 20 mph," the statement read. The NWS urges the public to avoid outdoor burning and to be vigilant in extinguishing all possible ignition sources. In regions like Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, and nearby areas, the rapid spread of any fires that ignite could quickly become difficult to control on such a day as this.
