Friday Night Snow Forecast: 2-8 Inches ... For Now

Snowfall forecasts increased early Friday morning for the winter storm approaching the Philadelphia area, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency mapped predicted snowfall amounts throughout the region:

• Phoenixville stood at the boundary of the 6-to-8-inches and 4-to-6-inches regions.
• Much of the rest of Chester County, as well as Lower Merion, northwest Philadelphia and parts of Delaware County were located squarely in the 4-to-6-inches band.
• Southern Delaware and Chester counties were expected to get closer to 2 to 4 inches.

This forecast was a noticeable departure from the forecast late Wednesday night, when 2-4 inches was the maximum expected. It still falls far short of expected snowfall amounts farther north on the eastern seaboard; New York and Boston may get more than two feet, according to some forecast models.

Rain is expected to precede the snow through much of Friday, with the changeover to snow happening Friday night, when temperatures should dip to the mid-20s, according to the NWS. Saturday should become dry after the early morning.

As of early Friday morning, no school closings were reported in the Philadelphia area's Patch coverage areas, according to CBS Philly and NBC-10.

Check your local Patch site throughout the day Friday for any forecast changes or community closings.