The Philadelphia area braces for a blast of winter's fury as the National Weather Service issued dual advisories that anticipate both extreme cold and robust winds this weekend. Residents across parts of New Jersey and southeast Pennsylvania are advised to prepare for what promises to be a bitter Saturday through Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service's latest directive, a wind advisory is in effect from 8 AM to 9 PM EST tomorrow, with northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 55 mph expected. Concurrently, an extreme cold warning will take hold from 3 PM Saturday to 10 AM EST Sunday, exposing the region to wind chills that could plummet as low as 17 degrees below zero. The advisories cover cities including Philadelphia and Trenton, reaching out to encompass areas such as Hunterdon, Somerset, and Gloucester.
The one-two punch of the howling winds and freezing temperatures carries the potential to knock down tree limbs and trigger power outages. Travel could become perilous, particularly for high profile vehicles. "Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects," warned the NWS.
Mitigation measures outlined by the National Weather Service urge residents to don layered clothing, complete with hats, face masks, and gloves, should stepping outside become necessity. The perilously low wind chills harbor the risk of hypothermia or frostbite "if precautions are not taken." This weekend's forecast departs from the relative calm of Friday's mostly cloudy skies and high near 32, en route to an audacious display of winter's capacity to grip a city in ice.
