This won't be a classic nor'easter heading up the coast, he said.
More likely, the system will pass over North Carolina and keep moving east, producing mainly rain, but some snow along the northern edge.
"At this time, the sure bet for heavy snow is centered on the mountains of West Virginia, northwestern Virginia and western Maryland, where a foot is possible," according to AccuWeather.com. ". . . Along the I-95 in the mid-Atlantic, the storm track is very critical for precipitation type in the Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia as to whether snow, rain or a wintry mix falls."
In Philadelphia, Sunday's high is expected to be in the lows 40s, after two days reaching the low 50s. So, with the system arriving Sunday afternoon, the start could see rain or a rain-snow mix. The forecast says there's an 80 percent chance of some precipitation.
But as temperatures fall toward the upper 20s Sunday night, the precipitation is likely to become a wet snow, Cope said.
The soggier the snow, though, the more it packs, so accumulation predictions are tricky.
"It'll probably be ending Sunday evening, so by Monday morning it'll be gone, except for whatever sticks to the ground," Cope said.
Highway crews should have plenty of time to treat and clear roads as needed.
"I don't think they'll be too much of a problem clear up by rush hour Monday," Cope said.
After highs in the 40s on President's Day, highs are expected to rise toward the upper 50s on Thursday.
For more on the forecast, go to http://go.philly.com/weather.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
