'Atmospheric Traffic Jam' To Bring Days Of Rain, Storms To Eastern PA

An "atmospheric traffic jam" will bring several days of clouds, rain and thunderstorms to the Philadelphia region this week, according to the latest forecast. The Philadelphia region will face wet conditions through Wednesday morning, with the highest chance for severe weather coming on Tuesday, forecasters said.

The gloomy conditions are caused by a storm that's moving slowly and stalling across the United States.

Showers and isolated thunderstorms are in the forecast for Monday, with the highest concentration of storms and precipitation expected in the Lehigh Valley area. There will be pockets where 6 inches of rain could fall, AccuWeather said. This is most likely in the Poconos in northeastern Pennsylvania to the Catskills in southeastern New York.

The risk for severe storms will shift eastward into eastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning will start with "a bit of a lull," after which showers and thunderstorms will redevelop, especially in areas northwest of the I-95 corridor in the afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Showers and storms continue Tuesday night through Wednesday night, forecasters said. Up to 4 inches of rain could fall through then.

Here's the latest forecast:

Today: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Patchy fog. High near 67. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog. Low around 58. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Patchy fog before 1pm. High near 75. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and 11pm, then a chance of showers after 11pm. Low around 54. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.