Powerful Storm With 50 MPH Winds To Blow Arctic Air Out Of Philly Region

A strong rainstrom will hit the greater Philadelphia area later this week, bringing with it warmer temperatures but also powerful wind gusts, forecasters said.

The storm is likely to arrive Thursday night, with a "100 percent" chance of rain, the National Weather Service said.

The storm will continue throughout the evening Thursday and into the morning on Friday, with a 40 to 60 percent chance of at least one inch of rain falling, according to forecasters.

Powerful winds are also expected in the region, with gusts reaching 20 miles per hour in the Philadelphia area and as a high as 50 miles per hour in the surrounding region, forecasters said.

The wind, which will kick up on Wednesday, will help push the cold air out of the region, but it will also make the mid-50s high temperatures on Thursday feel a good bit cooler.

The storm could lead to some travel delays and dicey conditions as holiday travelers begin to take to the roads and the airports.

"The combination of wet roads and runways and low visibility will lead to slick highways and airline delays," Accuweather said. "Where snow is piled up, street flooding is possible due to blocked storm drains as rain, melting snow and rising temperatures boost runoff."

Conditions will turn calmer and colder by Friday, with the rain moving out by 1 p.m. and the overnight low dropping to 25. The weekend forecast is similarly clear and colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows in the low 30s.

Here's the full forecast for the coming week, according to the National Weather Service:

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 30. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.

Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph after midnight.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 24. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night
Rain. Low around 44. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday
A chance of rain before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 25.

Saturday
Partly sunny, with a high near 40.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 47.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 40.