Two to four inches of snow is expected

Two to four inches of snow is expected to fall in the Philadelphia region early Friday, setting the stage for a messy morning commute. Skies will clear up over the weekend, but temperatures will plunge close to the single digits.

The prediction is for flakes to begin to fall shortly after 12:01 a.m. Friday, said Jim Poirier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

The snowfall could last until 7 or 8 a.m., Poirier said. With icy temperatures, driving will be a little trickier, especially on untreated or unplowed roads. The high Friday will barely rise above freezing.

In Delaware and other areas south of the city, snow totals will be lower, likely one to three inches, Poirier said.

The weekend will be bitterly cold, with highs Saturday in the lower 20s and Sunday's up by a few degrees.

AccuWeather Inc. on Wednesday evening said the low Saturday could fall to 10. With winds at 10 m.p.h. and gusts up to 18, it will feel much worse.

The next chance of precipitation will be late Tuesday into Wednesday. It is unclear if it will arrive as more snow, Poirier said.

In the last decade, single-digit readings have been scarce. In the period of record, dating to the 1870s, single digits have occurred three or four times a winter on average. Since 2001, however, it has failed to go below 10 in half the winters.

As for zero readings, Philadelphia has registered 45, but none since a temperature of minus-5 in 1994.

Inquirer staff writer Anthony R. Wood contributed to this article. For more on the forecast, go to http://go.philly.com/weather and Tony Wood's weather blog at www.philly.com/philly/blogs/weather/