The light snow that is forecast to impact the Friday evening commute in the Philadelphia region now has a name, thanks to the Weather Channel.
"Winter Storm Khan" may result in up to a half-inch of ice accumulation, which could lead to power outages and "major travel issues," the network said in explaining its rationale for naming the storm.
Locally, the wrath of Khan is expected to deposit one and two inches of snow in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, according to Royersford-based Phillyweather.net. More enterprising forecasts have called for up to three inches.
Whether the Poconos and other points northeast receive any snow at all is reliant upon whether dry air causes precipitation to evaporate before it reaches the ground.
Up to four inches of snow are forecast for other regions that will be affected by the storm, according to the Weather Channel.
The Weather Channel announced last fall that it would begin naming "noteworthy" storms this winter. The genesis of the idea was the October 2011 storm that left 2.3 million people without power from Maryland to New England, according to Bloomberg News. The naming plan has received a mixed reception from the rest of the weather forecasting industry.
