When will the snow end in Bucks County? What you need to know about Friday's winter storm.
A snow storm hit Bucks County as expected Friday morning, and what started off as steady flurries will give way to heavier snow fall into the afternoon hours.
"It started about the time we thought it would, just before daybreak. It doesn't look like much right now, but more snow is coming and we expect it to get heavier," said Lee Robertson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. "Right now, the heaviest accumulation will occur in the 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. window, and then slowly become lighter through the afternoon and evening.
"Things will start to wind down around 7 p.m., and by 10 p.m., all the snow should be over."
Here's everything else to know about Friday's snow storm.
Snow day: Bucks County schools close Friday as storm to arrive in early morning, last all day
Expected accumulation unchanged; wind gusts to follow
The weather service is still expecting between 3 and 5 inches of snow to fall on Bucks County; Robertson said the weather service would be able to provide localized approximations later in the day, but Upper and Central Bucks are expected to get a little less than the lower end of the county.
In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the weather service asked for residents to submit localized accumulations and photos.
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There will be virtually no wind accompanying this storm, meaning the snow should flutter, which will please snowbirds, Robertson said.
"Wind-wise, it won't be anything like the last storms, when we had gusts of nearly 50 mph," Robertson said. "There may be 5 to 10 mph winds, with very little wind gusts. The snow will fall straight down, which will lead to just a picturesque day of snow fall."
The weather service also posted an updated winter warning on X:
With the early morning forecast update, the expected axis of heavier snow has shifted south. Warnings were adjusted accordingly. The heaviest snow amounts are possible around southern NJ & northern Delaware. For forecast insights: https://t.co/Z3rWWvBlnX https://t.co/54IEpuD6e4 pic.twitter.com/bXbCZVfbre
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 19, 2024
Robertson said winds will pick up after the snow pulls out Friday evening.
"Saturday, it does get windy, with wind gusts around 25 to 30 mph," Robertson said. "So any loose snow may blow around and cause snow drifts. Those conditions are likely continue in to Sunday."
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Recent snow storms end snowless streak in Bucks County
Counting Friday's storm, Bucks County has gone from having a string of snowless days to having three snow storms in a matter of weeks.
A storm earlier this week dropped several inches of snow across Bucks County.
Before Jan. 12, Bucks County experienced a drought of snow, as the National Centers for Environmental Information noted that the last measurable storm dropped 22.8 inches of snow in Bucks County on Feb. 2, 2021.
And Bucks County residents of a certain age may recall the 1983 storm which dropped 32 inches of snow on Doylestown.
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County weather forecast: Snow to fall all day leaving 5 inches
