Will it snow in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · checked 3:51 pm EDT, Mon Oct 19
This week: the National Weather Service forecast
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Philadelphia for the next 7 days.
NWS forecast for central Philadelphia, issued 2:31 pm EDT, Mon Oct 19. It covers about 7 days and is updated several times a day.
The whole 7-day forecast
- This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tonight: Clear, with a low around 49. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48. North wind around 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 65. North wind around 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 68.
- Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 47.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
NWS forecast for Philadelphia · Weather alerts in Pennsylvania · Winter storm outlook
How often it snows in Philadelphia
Philadelphia averages 23.1 inches of snow a year in NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals (from 29 years of snowfall records in 1991–2020).
Measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) fell in 30 of the 30 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records — about 100%.
In the winters that had any, the median date of the first measurable snow was December 18, and of the last March 20. The earliest first snow came on October 29, 2011.
The snowiest of those winters was 2009–10, with 78.7 inches.
The snowiest month on average is February, with 8.4 inches.
On average there are 12.0 days a year with at least 0.1 inch of snowfall.
Average snowfall by month, 1991–2020
| Month | Snowfall |
|---|---|
| November | 0.2 inches |
| December | 3.5 inches |
| January | 7.1 inches |
| February | 8.4 inches |
| March | 3.6 inches |
| April | 0.3 inches |
Months with none on average are left out.
Will Philadelphia have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Philadelphia a 9.3% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps.
The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 7.4%.
These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
White Christmas in Philadelphia: every Christmas Day since 1991
Where these numbers come from
Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual, monthly and daily station normals) for Philadelphia International Airport, GHCN-Daily station USW00013739, 11 km from the city centre. First and last snow dates, the share of winters with snow and the snowiest winter were counted by this site from the same station's daily snowfall for the winters 1991–92 to 2020–21, read through the Regional Climate Centers' ACIS service; a winter with more than 10 missing days between October and April is left out. Forecast: the National Weather Service API, read at most once an hour. All US government data, public domain.
This site does not issue warnings or predict snow. It repeats the official forecast and the long-run record.
NOAA's winter outlook 2026–27 for Pennsylvania
Questions
Will it snow in Philadelphia this week?
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Philadelphia for the next 7 days. The National Weather Service updates its forecast several times a day.
Will it snow in Philadelphia this winter (2026–27)?
Nobody can say for a whole winter ahead. In the 30 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records, measurable snow fell in 30, and the 1991–2020 average is 23.1 inches a year. NOAA's seasonal outlook gives the chances of a colder or wetter winter than normal, not snow totals.
When does Philadelphia usually get its first snow?
In the 30 winters that had measurable snow, the median date of the first one was December 18; the earliest was October 29, 2011.
Will Philadelphia have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Philadelphia a 9.3% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps. The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 7.4%. These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
Will it snow in other US cities?
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