[MTHOLLYSVRWX] Special Weather Statement : PHI@ 12/18/2004 4:39:12 PM

[PHI Skywarn]

WWUS81 KPHI 182123
SPSPHI

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
422 PM EST SAT DEC 18 2004

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-067>071-191100-
ATLANTIC NJ-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY NJ-BERKS PA-BUCKS PA-CAMDEN NJ-
CAPE MAY NJ-CARBON PA-CAROLINE MD-CECIL MD-CHESTER PA-
COASTAL ATLANTIC NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-CUMBERLAND NJ-DELAWARE PA-
DELAWARE BEACHES DE-EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-GLOUCESTER NJ-HUNTERDON NJ-
INLAND SUSSEX DE-KENT MD-KENT DE-LEHIGH PA-MERCER NJ-MIDDLESEX NJ-
MONROE PA-MONTGOMERY PA-MORRIS NJ-NEW CASTLE DE-NORTHAMPTON PA-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON NJ-OCEAN NJ-PHILADELPHIA PA-QUEEN ANNE'S MD-
SALEM NJ-SOMERSET NJ-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON NJ-SUSSEX NJ-TALBOT MD-
WARREN NJ-WESTERN MONMOUTH NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLENTOWN...ATLANTIC CITY...BETHLEHEM...
CAMDEN...DOVER...NEW BRUNSWICK...NEWARK...PERTH AMBOY...
PHILADELPHIA...READING...TRENTON...VINELAND AND WILMINGTON
422 PM EST SAT DEC 18 2004

...WINDY AND VERY COLD WEATHER HEADING OUR WAY...

THE WEATHER THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF SUNDAY WILL CONTINUE TO BE
RATHER TRANQUIL, BUT A SUDDEN ARCTIC BLAST WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE
AREA SUNDAY EVENING INTO MONDAY.

LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WILL BEGIN TO DECAY LATE 
TONIGHT, WHILE A COMPLEX SECONDARY LOW BEGINS TO DEVELOP OFF THE 
MID ATLANTIC COAST. THAT SECONDARY SYSTEM WILL EVENTUALLY STRENGTHEN 
AND CONSOLIDATE, AND ULTIMATELY PULL ARCTIC AIR INTO THE REGION. 

ALTHOUGH LIGHT SNOW OR LIGHT RAIN CHANGING TO LIGHT SNOW MAY FALL 
SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT, THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS 
EXPECTED TO BE THE WIND AND ARCTIC AIR. BY MONDAY, TEMPERATURES 
AROUND THE REGION COULD DROP TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR MID TO 
LATE DECEMBER, RUNNING FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS IN THE POCONOS AND
NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY TO NEAR 20 ALONG THE NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE
COASTS. WIND CHILL VALUES LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY ARE EXPECTED
TO RUN FROM ZERO TO 10 BELOW ZERO FOR MUCH OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, AND FROM ZERO TO 10 ABOVE ZERO FOR EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, AND
NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND.

THE HARSHEST WEATHER WILL OCCUR FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY 
AFTERNOON. WINDS PEAKING AT 25 TO 35 MPH AND VERY COLD AIR WILL MAKE 
THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE DIFFICULT. PEOPLE WHO VENTURE OUTSIDE, 
INCLUDING CHILDREN ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL, SHOULD DRESS TO PROTECT 
THEMSELVES FROM THE CONDITIONS. HATS, GLOVES AND LAYERS OF CLOTHING 
ARE IMPORTANT IN THIS TYPE OF WEATHER. 

AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT ONLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL FALL
THROUGHOUT OUR AREA, WITH THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH
THE CONSOLIDATING STORM OFF THE EAST COAST REMAINING TO OUR EAST AND 
NORTHEAST. AS THE ARCTIC AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION LATE SUNDAY INTO
SUNDAY NIGHT, LIGHT SNOW OR LIGHT RAIN CHANGING TO LIGHT SNOW MAY 
OCCUR. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM A DUSTING TO
AROUND AN INCH. ICING MAY BE A PROBLEM DURING THE MONDAY COMMUTES,
ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNING. PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY TO AND FROM WORK MAY
WANT TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME. 

PLEASE CONSIDER YOUR PETS IF YOU KEEP THEM OUTSIDE. AT A MINIMUM THEY
NEED ACCESS TO A STURDY SHELTER FROM THE WIND AND COLD, AND THEY NEED
ACCESS TO UNFROZEN WATER. THE MOST HUMANE THING TO DO IS TO BRING
THEM INDOORS. 

SINCE OUR AREA HAS THUS FAR BEEN SPARED BY ANY EXTREME WINTER
CONDITIONS, MANY PEOPLE WILL WAKE MONDAY MORNING TO THE DRAMATIC
REALIZATION THAT WINTER DOES IN FACT EXIST AND HAS ARRIVED ONE DAY
EARLY ACCORDING TO THE CALENDAR. PLEASE BE ADVISED TO PREPARE FOR 
THE WINDS, THE PLUNGING TEMPERATURES, LOW WIND CHILLS AND PERHAPS 
HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.  

$$

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
FURTHER UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, VISIT US ON THE
INTERNET AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/ER/PHI.

RPW/DI/RK

$$


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