Christmas weekend storm to bring several inches of snow, sleet to Philadelphia area

Weather Authority: Christmas Day forecast

FOX 29 meteorologist Sue Serio has the forecast for Christmas Day, as well as potential snow totals for the storm moving in over the weekend.

PHILADELPHIA - A winter storm is expected to bring several inches of sleet and snow to Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey the weekend after Christmas, making for dangerous travel over the holiday weekend.

Snow, sleet in Philadelphia

What we know:

The National Weather Service issued winter storm watches earlier this week for nearly all of Eastern Pennsylvania and all of New Jersey north of Camden County. 

Winter storm watches issued for Pennsylvania and New Jersey for Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (Credit: National Weather Service)

FOX 29 meteorologist Sue Serio says the storm could vary greatly by location, bringing some combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain.

"What you get (snow, sleet, freezing rain) depends on where you are," Serio said.

The storm will begin Friday afternoon, moving from the west to the east. In Philadelphia, you can expect a mix of sleet and freezing rain with some snow. South Jersey and Delaware will transition to rain at some point overnight Friday.

When will the snow start?

Timeline:

The Philly area will start seeing precipitation around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. on Friday, again moving west to east. Then, models predict the storm will move offshore sometime between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday.

How much snow will we see?

Potential snow totals by Saturday morning, Dec. 27, according to the European model.

By the numbers:

Models vary about potential snow totals. But in general, forecasters predict between one and two inches of snow in northern Delaware, 1.5–4 inches in the Philadelphia area, and higher snow totals the further north you travel.

Chance of seeing 4 or more inches of snow or sleet by Saturday morning, Dec. 27. (Credit: National Weather Service)

Philadelphia, according to the National Weather Service, has a nearly 30% chance of seeing 4 inches of snow/sleet or more by Satuday morning, with those chances being as high as 63% just 30 miles north in Trenton.

Dangerous weekend travel

Potential ice accumulation totals by Saturday, Dec. 27.

Why you should care:

In addition to snow, experts predict large ice accumulation overnight Friday into Saturday, making streets and sidewalks dangerously slippery. 

The National Weather Service says that people "should consider delaying all travel" until after the winter storm is over.

"If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution," the NWS said, recommending travelers bring safety kits and other supplies in the event that they get stranded.