Honestly, if you've lived in the Delaware Valley for more than a week, you know the drill. You check the app, see a snowflake icon, and suddenly every grocery store within a ten-mile radius is out of milk and bread. It's a Philly tradition, right up there with arguing about which cheesesteak spot is actually the best. But looking at the philadelphia pa weather 15 day forecast right now, we’re moving past the "maybe it'll snow" phase and into a "wow, it's actually happening" stretch of winter.
Today is Sunday, January 18, 2026, and we are currently sitting in the middle of a heavy snow storm. If you're looking out your window in Center City or out toward the Main Line, it’s coming down. The high today is hitting exactly 34°F, but it feels more like 25°F because of that biting north wind. We’re looking at a 97% chance of snow during the day, which basically means it's a lock.
The Immediate Outlook: Ice and Arctic Air
Once this storm wraps up tonight—and we’re still expecting an 85% chance of snow through the evening—the real story starts. The temperature is going to bottom out at 24°F tonight. But tomorrow? Monday, January 19, is when the "refrigerator door" effect kicks in. We’ll see a high of 36°F, but the overnight low is plummeting to 18°F.
The big mistake people make with the philadelphia pa weather 15 day forecast is ignoring the "flash freeze" potential. Since it's currently raining and snowing (humidity is at 85% as I write this), all that slush on the I-95 corridor is going to turn into a skating rink by Monday morning.
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Tuesday, January 20, is looking like the coldest day of the entire stretch. We’re talking a high of only 23°F and a low of 12°F. You read that right. Twelve degrees. That’s the kind of cold that makes your car struggle to start and makes you regret every decision that led you to leave the house. It'll be sunny, sure, but that’s a "deceptive sun" that offers zero warmth.
Mid-Week Fluctuations and the 15-Day Trend
Wednesday provides a tiny bit of relief as we climb back to 36°F, and by Thursday, January 22, we might actually see 42°F. That’s probably the peak for the next two weeks. It’s a classic Philly winter "thaw" that lasts for about six hours before the next cold front slams into the Schuylkill.
Here is the breakdown of the high and low temperatures for the upcoming week based on current data:
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- Sunday: 34°F / 24°F (Heavy Snow)
- Monday: 36°F / 18°F (Sunny)
- Tuesday: 23°F / 12°F (Bitter Cold)
- Wednesday: 36°F / 13°F (Partly Sunny)
- Thursday: 42°F / 26°F (The "Warm" Spot)
- Friday: 30°F / 16°F (Mostly Cloudy)
- Saturday: 21°F / 13°F (Cold Again)
Basically, we are trapped in a cycle where the thermometer can't quite decide if it wants to stay in the 30s or drop into the teens. According to the National Weather Service and local trackers like CBS Philadelphia, this arctic air mass is being driven by a deep trough over the eastern US.
What Most People Get Wrong About Philly Forecasts
A lot of folks look at the 15-day outlook and see a 10% or 20% chance of snow and think, "Oh, we're safe." In this region, that's a dangerous game. With the way coastal lows develop, a 20% chance on a Tuesday can turn into a 6-inch accumulation by Thursday if the "clippers" or "nor'easters" shift just fifty miles to the east.
For example, Sunday, January 25, is currently showing a 20% chance of snow with a high of only 20°F. If that moisture pulls in from the coast, that's going to be a very powdery, difficult-to-clear snow because of the low temperatures. When it's that cold, salt doesn't work as well on the roads.
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Expert meteorologists like Kate Bilo have often pointed out that the "urban heat island" effect in Philadelphia can sometimes keep the city a few degrees warmer than the suburbs like Bucks or Montgomery County. However, with the current setup, that won't save us from the deep freeze. The humidity is staying relatively high (averaging around 50% most days), which means the air will feel "heavy" and raw.
Planning Your Next Two Weeks
If you’re planning on traveling through PHL or taking SEPTA, Tuesday and Saturday are your biggest "red flag" days due to the extreme cold. We aren't seeing massive precipitation after today's storm, but the residual ice from the January 18 storm will likely linger for days because we aren't staying above freezing long enough for a true melt.
Next week, Monday and Tuesday (Jan 26-27) look stable but frigid, with highs of 25°F. It’s a very dry cold. The UV index is low (around 1 or 2), so don't expect the sun to help much with the ice on your driveway.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your pipes today. With Tuesday hitting 12°F and Wednesday hitting 13°F, uninsulated pipes in North Philly or older rowhomes are at high risk.
- Clear your sidewalk before Sunday night. Anything left as slush will be solid ice by Monday morning when the temp hits 18°F.
- Battery check. Car batteries lose about 30-60% of their strength when the temperature drops below freezing. If your battery is more than three years old, that Tuesday morning start might not happen.
- Layers, not just coats. With wind speeds hitting 15 mph on Friday, January 23, the wind chill will likely stay in the single digits for most of the afternoon.