The quasi -stationary frontal boundary moved through as a cold front this evening, causing the showers.

A northeasterly flow of air behind the front will cool things down for Saturday.  Saturday will be mostly cloudy but skies may brighten mid day (as happened today).  Highs on Saturday low 50s.

Late Saturday afternoon, the same frontal boundary will move back as a warm front and showers will return late afternoon into evening.

Sunday will bring dry conditions and possibly some sun breaking through.  Very warm with temperatures in the low 70s and possibly higher if the sunshine materializes.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

Clouds return later Sunday with as low pressure develops and moves towards us on Monday through Tuesday.  The latest NAM model suggests the possibility of icy precipitation Tuesday morning. 

For those people who miss winter, cold weather, with possibly below average temperatures, returns next weekend.

A stalled frontal boundary to our south will advance slowly northward as a warm front as waves of low pressure develop along the boundary, causing rain and showers.

As is often the case in these scenarios, timing of the waves and exact placement of the front varies from model to model and there are divergences in timing and placement of the front as the timeframe goes forward.  Large difference by Sunday.

For today, Friday, we will have cloudy skies and damp conditions.   The GFS and NAM bring showers back into PHL between 4 PM and 7 PM with rain, possibly heavy during the evening hours.

For Saturday, the morning looks to be damp without showers, but with increasing chances of showers in the afternoon and especially by evening.

Sunday is a big unknown- the GFS has the front to our north with high temps near 70.  The NAM has high temps in the mid 50s with the warm front stalled to our south.

Both models have a deep low pressure system bringing rain, possibly heavy, on Monday,

Temperatures still look to return to normal winter temps by New Years Day and even below average temperatures for next weekend possible.  The possible storm for Jan 4-6th timeframe has again disappeared from the latest GFS.

We are still on track for record breaking temperatures Thursday, Christmas Eve, with rain returning by evening.  High about 75 in Philadelphia.   If we get any sunshine tomorrow, we would go much warmer.

Cloudy, wet and warm will be the general trend through next Tuesday.  (A break in the rain Christmas Day.)

Seasonably cold weather returns around New Year’s Eve.

Most interesting is that the GFS has resumed suggesting a possible snow storm in the January 4-6th timeframe.  Way too far off to really take this seriously, but this is the second time the long range GFS has suggested this possibility in this timeframe.

Updated 12/24 6 PM:

It looks like the extreme record high temperatures predicted were NOT reached in Philadelphia  today.   It looks like we “only” reached 71 at PHL airport.

Some of the timing for the upcoming precipitation has changed a bit for the weekend.  Will update on Friday.