weather Archives - ThePhillyFiles.com

January 22, 2021

Comforting dairy dishes that deliver taste and nutrition

Cooler weather calls for comfort foods, and it’s hard to top soups, risottos and strata for heartwarming dishes to share with the family on…

January 14, 2021

5 ways to make your home eco-friendly

An earth-friendly approach to your home isn’t just good for the environment. Making minor adjustments with sustainability in mind can enhance your enjoyment and…

January 10, 2021

5 tips for your next snowmobile adventure

As travel restrictions and popular trends like staycations have changed the way many people escape from their day-to-day lives, rediscovering classic, outdoor winter activities…

January 4, 2021

Seasons change: What to drink when the temperature starts dropping

Some of us live or visit states where the changing leaves are signaling a change in climate while others are welcoming more moderate warm…

December 31, 2020

The west coast’s fall wildfires could change what we drink

For those of us not living on the West Coast, the fires enveloping wine regions in California, Oregon and Washington are frightening to watch…

August 5, 2020

The best type of wine to drink in the heat

The summer heat can be oppressive in August, arguably the hottest month of the summer. Even in the evening, the high temperatures and humidity can…

August 3, 2020

Tropical Storm Isaias to bring wind, rain, flooding to Philadelphia

Widespread tropical storm-conditions are expected around the region, most of Tuesday PHILADELPHIA — Tropical Storm Isaias is getting better organized and expected to make…

July 29, 2020

Cold California conditions make these wines worth the challenge

It is remarkable that some of the best wines are grown in the most inhospitable regions. Champagne is the coldest wine growing region in…

July 15, 2020

The perfect wine for hot weather and summer foods

With our outdoor spaces now ensconced in hot weather, we find ourselves reaching more often for sauvignon blanc. Its crisp acidity and citrus, herbaceous…

July 11, 2020

4 tips for planning a summer family vacation

As stay-at-home orders ease, many families are eager to get out of the house and hit the road for a summer trip. However, vacation…

July 9, 2020

Tropical Storm Fay forms; Warning flags up, down the shore

PHILADELPHIA — Tropical Storm Fay formed just off North Carolina’s Outer Banks at 5pm Thursday, and the New Jersey shore is under a Tropical…

July 8, 2020

Savory redo: The rush for rosé is back on

Kathleen Inman remembers the time when she had to twist arms in her tasting room to get people to try her rosé. Too many…

June 10, 2020

Where it’s from and the weather changing the world of pinot noir

We are unabashed fans of pinot noir. Give us a cabernet sauvignon when it comes to a juicy steak, but otherwise we find ourselves…

June 7, 2020

Smart summer skin care

Get back to basics with warm weather skin care tips If you’ve ever noticed how thirsty you get when it’s hot outside, that’s because…

June 6, 2020

Learning sans school throughout the summer

Tips for keeping students sharp over the long-haul With the majority of schools across the country closed, many parents are feeling the stress of…

June 3, 2020

Nothing says welcoming each other and warm weather like rosé

Despite the death and economic chaos brought on by COVID-19, we are searching for normalcy in our world – a time when we went…

May 21, 2020

Weather the storm: Prepare early for power outages and other impacts

Surging spring temperatures can bring volatility that translates into major weather events. The 2020 storm season could see above-average probability for major hurricanes hitting…

May 20, 2020

Planning for warm weather wine, post-pandemic

As we write this column, the black cloud of the Novel Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the health of our citizens and the…

April 2, 2020

Seasonal home supplies for spring

Between spring cleaning and spending additional time outdoors (or both), the spring season can bring a lot of changes to your home. From insect…

March 29, 2020

A spring cleaning to-do list

Spring cleaning often lands in a perfect spot on the calendar to serve as an annual reminder of your regular home maintenance to-do list…

February 9, 2020

Winter Skin Care 101

Cold weather can take a real toll on your skin. Dry skin can lead to discomfort and, if neglected, can affect your skin’s elasticity…

January 30, 2020

5 not-so-obvious winter home safety tips

When you see frost on the windows in the morning, feel the crunch of leaves underfoot and hear the roar of fire in the…

January 22, 2020

Cold weather wines: Season dictates what’s best to drink when

We may make too much of weather when it comes to enjoying wine. But why is it that a crisp sauvignon blanc tastes better…

January 9, 2020

4 tire tips to safely prep for a winter getaway of any distance

Among the many daily necessities that tend to take a backseat during the cold days of winter, driving is one of a handful directly…

January 8, 2020

Weather roller coaster: Snow squall videos and soon, possibly a record high

PHILADELPHIA — Warmer weather had us expecting no snow for as many as three weeks, despite the calendar showing January, but Mother Nature can…

December 27, 2019

Winter warm-up recipes and tips rooted in goodness

When cold weather hits, it’s natural to seek comfort in a variety of forms: warm blankets, layers of sweaters and delicious, hearty meals. Winter…

December 26, 2019

Prepare your family for severe weather, power loss

While the impact of winter weather varies across the country, nearly all Americans are affected in some capacity each year as temperatures drop, from…

December 19, 2019

Keep your family safe and warm in winter weather

Winters with heavy snowfall can be magnificent, but they can also be challenging for homeowners. Accumulated snow and ice have the potential to damage…

December 15, 2019

5 Tips to Ward Off Cold Weather

Colder weather brings plenty of changes, especially in the ways you take care of your home and self. Especially when the temperature drops, extreme…

November 22, 2019

Celebrate the Flavors of Fall

Use a pantry staple to spice up comfort food classics. As chilly weather sets in and days get shorter, comfort food favorites once again…

November 21, 2019

5 professional tips to prep your home for winter

Before blustery winter days arrive, there are plenty of home improvement projects contractors can tackle for homeowners. Many cooler weather projects focus on cost…

November 20, 2019

10 wines that’ll impress your holiday guests

As we close in on the mother of all feasts, the last thing on your mind is probably wine. Most likely, you are more…

November 19, 2019

4 Ways to Treat and Trick Your Pet this Fall

Halloween may have come and gone but the whole autumn season — which lasts through Dec. 20 — offers plenty of reasons to celebrate:…

November 15, 2019

Roast a Holiday Meal to Remember

The holiday season is a perfect opportunity to gather with friends and family, and few things bring people together like an elegant, seasonal meal….

November 14, 2019

Reduce your residential risk

Advice to make your home storm-ready In the United States, more than 100,000 thunderstorms occur each year. These storms — which can be accompanied…

October 19, 2019

Remnants of Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor to cause wet end of weekend

PHILADELPHIA — Get ready for rain on Sunday, after a beautiful start to this fall weekend. Tropical Storm Nestor, off Florida’s “big bend” area,…

October 2, 2019

Heat expected to beat record, change Philadelphia October weather history

PHILADELPHIA — The region is dealing with “unseasonably hot temperatures” that will be “approaching or exceeding daily records over much of the area,” according…

September 15, 2019

Humberto to head toward Bermuda as hurricane

Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine already became Tropical Depression #9 and then Tropical Storm Humberto UPDATE — Humberto became a hurricane and continues to strengthen….

September 12, 2019

Déjà vu after Dorian: Tropical Storm Warning in Bahamas, Watch in Florida

UPDATE — Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is expected to become a tropical depression or tropical storm later Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center’s…

September 6, 2019

Philadelphia feeling all it will from Dorian, next and last major threat will be Canada

Friday was a cool, gray one — with some light rain around Philadelphia — and the center of Hurricane Dorian is still off the…

September 5, 2019

Hurricane Dorian off the Carolinas, Tropical Storm Warnings in New England

The Tropical Storm Watch that went into Delaware has been upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning, and Dorian should be done affecting land by…

September 4, 2019

Hurricane Dorian off Georgia, Tropical Storm Watch extended to Delaware

Dorian is one of three storms, as of 5pm Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center reports Tropical Storm Fernand made landfall in northern Mexico around…

September 3, 2019

More watches, warnings for Florida and up the coast for Hurricane Dorian

At 5pm Tuesday, there were advisories of some type from the Bahamas all the way up to the Chesapeake Bay. Also, new Tropical Storm…

September 2, 2019

Hurricane Dorian to get ‘dangerously close’ to Florida, then other states

The Sunshine State is close enough to feel some of Hurricane Dorian’s wind and rain bands, but the slow-moving storm is still causing extreme…

September 1, 2019

Hurricane Dorian’s strength, size means ‘hit or miss’ matters little for Florida

DRAWN-OUT CATASTROPHE: At 2pm Monday, Hurricane Dorian was *still* battering Grand Bahama Island. Its center was about 105 miles east of West Palm Beach, moving WNW at *1*…

August 31, 2019

Center of Hurricane Dorian more likely to turn before hitting Florida

11am SUNDAY UPDATE — Hurricane Watch in Florida. Dorian has become Category 5 with sustained winds near 180 mph, the strongest hurricane in modern…

August 30, 2019

Hurricane Warning for part of Bahamas as ‘extremely dangerous’ Dorian heads toward Florida

Hurricane Dorian is a Category 3 storm as of 5pm Friday. The National Hurricane Center reports its maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph,…

August 29, 2019

Hurricane Dorian to intensify, be ‘extremely dangerous’ in Florida

Friday, expect Dorian to intensify into a ‘major’ hurricane and make its turn west, toward Florida. 11pm UPDATE DISCOURAGING: More intense (105 mph winds),…

August 28, 2019

Hurricane Dorian expected to intensify, threaten Florida as a Category 3

All indications are that by Labor Day weekend, a powerful hurricane will be near or over the Florida peninsula. Dorian became a hurricane on…

August 27, 2019

The latest: Tropical Storm Dorian

UPDATE — Dorian became a hurricane on Wednesday. Click here for details, especially its threat to Florida as a major Category 3 storm. Moving…

July 22, 2019

Storms kill heat wave; more rain before ‘much more comfortable’ Tuesday

PHILADELPHIA — The damaging storms that hit the region late Monday afternoon are moving east and will be off the New Jersey coast at…

July 17, 2019

Excessive Heat Warning in effect until 10pm Sunday

PHILADELPHIA — Say it ain’t so! Unfortunately, we need a reminder. It’s hot out there. How hot? The National Weather Service is calling it…

July 5, 2019

City, feds issue reminders on staying cool, safe in hot weather

PHILADELPHIA — The heat and humidity are more than just unbearable. Friday afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted an article saying…

Presidents DayMonday, February 15, 2021

Presidents Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. It was originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, but the holiday became popularly known as Presidents Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.

PurimThursday, February 25, 2021

The jolly festival of Purim starts tonight, on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day,” as recorded in the Book of Esther. Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian, and Haman had thrown lots to determine which day he would carry out his diabolical scheme. One of the observances is a feast, which often includes wine or other intoxicating beverages.

Daylight Saving TimeSaturday, March 13, 2021

“Spring forward” tonight at 2am, the second Sunday in March. The idea of daylight saving was first conceived by (who else? Philadelphian) Benjamin Franklin to reduce electricity usage by extending daylight hours. People in about 70 countries observe Daylight Saving, but they don’t in Hawaii and most of Arizona. It’s also a good time to change batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and flashlights, and remove expired items from your refrigerator and first aid kit.

St. Patrick’s DayWednesday, March 17, 2021

The Feast of Saint Patrick is both a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17, the traditional date of death of the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick lived from about 385 to 461, but the day was only made an official Christian feast day in the early 1600s. It commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Also, the Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking alcohol, are lifted for the day.

Beginning of SpringSaturday, March 20, 2021

At the spring (or vernal) equinox, days and nights are approximately 12 hours long, with day length starting to increase and night length starting to decrease. As the season progresses, the Earth’s axis increases its tilt relative to the sun and the hemisphere warms significantly, causing new plant growth to “spring forth,” giving the season its name. “Springtime” can also refer to the ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal and regrowth.