Friday's return of winter weather had a lot of people in our region missing the taste of spring we had, but Tuesday's chance of snow poses more of a threat than Friday's snow. NBC10 Chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz has the details.

Northeast Philadelphia's Roosevelt Inn and its management are being sued for being involved in a sex slavery crime that they claim they never knew was happening. The lawsuit claims that a 14-year-old girl was forced into sex slavery and the hotel and its staff let it happen. NBC10's Mitch Blacher has more.

Pope Francis says he is open to having married priests, something that could change centuries of Catholic history. NBC10's Tim Furlong has the story.

Jeffrey Perelman, a well-known Philadelphia philanthropist and Main Line billionaire who infamously sued his father several years ago, suffered a defeat in another lawsuit this week over a neighbor's proposal to build a new house.

Perelman and his wife, Marsha, lost an appeal in Commonwealth Court over proposed construction at 115 Cherry Lane in Lower Merion. The court ruled that the property owner, Aram Jerrehian Jr., has the right to build a house.

In addition to a power couple with a famous last name, the dispute involves a property steeped in history. The 3.8-acre parcel identified in the suit as “the Pool Lot” is part of a one-time 40-acre estate called Hedgeley.

Hedgeley dates to the 1870s when William Winsor bought the sprawling land in the hills of Lower Merion's Wynnewood section. It remained a single estate off Cherry Lane until the 1950s when Winsor’s heir died and the land was split into four parcels by Orphan’s Court. One of those lots became the Pool Lot.

The exclusive neighborhood of long driveways and massive mansions is home to some of Philadelphia richest business owners and entrepreneurs. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie lives on an estate of his own a block away from the Hedgeley properties.

An attorney who represented Lower Merion Township in the appeal to Commonwealth Court said after the ruling that the Perelmans’ interest in preventing Jerrehian from building on the Pool Lot appeared to be as simple as keeping the status quo in the sparsely populated area.

“The property is from what I understand a very lovely piece of ground and the neighbor would like to maintain the privacy that the community there offers,” attorney Gilbert High, of the law firm High Schwartz, said.

A three-judge panel of Commonwealth Court heard the case in September after Jerrehian appealed a ruling by the Lower Merion Zoning Board that he would have to seek a variance to build a new home on the property.

The zoning board found that the lot did not have what it deemed the proper street access required by township code, despite a finding by Lower Merion’s zoning officer that the lot did appear to pass muster for new construction without a variance.

A Common Pleas Court upheld the board’s ruling.

Attorneys for the Perelmans and Jerrehian presented arguments to Commonwealth Court. The Perelmans made two claims: that 115 Cherry Lane did not have adequate street access, and that it was not an official subdivision from the adjacent 103 Cherry Lane.

Jerrehian bought 115 Cherry Lane in 2006 from Bert and Anne O’Malley. The O’Malleys sold 103 Cherry Lane a year earlier to a separate buyer.

The court rejected both of the Perelmans’ claims. Separately, the court affirmed Jerrehian’s claim that the township zoning board did not apply its code properly when it determined the Pool Lot did not have adequate street access.

The Perelmans could appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court or ask the Commonwealth Court to reconsider its ruling. Their lead attorney, Kenneth E. Aaron, did not respond to requests for comment. Another attorney for the Perelmans said she could not comment on whether the couple will use either option, or drop the case.

Jeffrey Perelman is the younger of two sons to Raymond and the late Ruth Perelman. His lawsuit against his father and older brother, Ronald, shook Philadelphia high society in 2010. The suit, dubbed Perelman v. Perelman, was related to the family’s extensive billion-dollar business holdings. 

Both Jeffrey and Marsha Perelman have served on numerous boards of the largest institutions in the Philadelphia region.

Jerrehian and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

High, the township attorney, said that if the Perelmans decide to drop their case the only thing left for Jerrehian to do before constructing a new house on the Pool Lot is to get a building permit from Lower Merion.

“It’s not a life or death case,” High said. “They’re neighbors.”

A crash involving at least five vehicles shut down a busy New Jersey highway on Friday night and left five people hurt.

Route 30 was shut down going both directions after an accident injured at least five people. The accident occurred around 6:45 p.m. near the highway's intersection with Capital Avenue.

One car caught on fire with several people trapped inside, according to police. Route 30 reopened about 10 p.m.

FRIDAY WAS JUST THE APPETIZER

As is often the case in March, the snow that fell Friday melted on the roads, but stuck on the trees. It looked beautiful (the common “winter wonderland” comment was likely a frequent expression). But it wasn’t much of a storm, with the highest amounts in our area only reaching 4-6 inches. Most places got 1-3 inches.

But now that we’re getting past the 10^th of March, we enter a week when we’ve had some big snowstorms in the past. The 12^th is the anniversary of the famous “Blizzard of ‘88”. What, you don’t remember the storm from 1988? That’s because it was the Blizzard of 1888! The Philadelphia snow total: 10.5”. New York City and New England were hardest hit, with snow totals of 20 to 60 inches (yes, 60!). And drifts got as high as 50 feet! It was known as “The Great White Hurricane”. It was responsible for NYC deciding to build subways and underground communications systems so future storms wouldn’t cripple the city like that one did. One storm did that.

Another historic storm hit the East Coast on March 13, 1993. We got 12.0” of snow that day in Philadelphia. But the storm became famous for the extent of brutal weather. The National Climatic Data Center reported that 40% of the country’s population felt impacts from the storm-from Florida to Maine. Below is the snowfall map. Everything in light blue was in the 10-20” category.

Another big one hit on March 20, 1958. This one was really wild. While Philadelphia got 11.4”, Morgantown, PA got an unbelievable 50”! That’s the red area west of Philadelphia in the map below:

The one thing common about all three storms was that the Philadelphia area did not get an “all-snow” storm. Either rain, sleet, or both cut down the snow totals. Areas N&W of Philadelphia got much more snow in the ’93 and ’58 storms. Keep that in mind as we talk about storm scenarios with the one next Tuesday. It’s hard to get an “all-snow” storm in March near the coast.

WHAT DOES THE OCEAN LOOK LIKE?

You can’t make an accurate forecast of a March winter storm without checking on the ocean temperatures-both at the coast and offshore. The latest water temperature at Atlantic City is 44 degrees. The higher that temperature is, the more likely it is for warmer air to change snow to rain. That is, unless the wind direction isn’t coming from the ocean at any part of the storm. Since intense storms like the one Tuesday are Nor’easters, and by definition, the wind is coming from the Northeast, the wind will surely come from the ocean at some point.

Now, a 44 degree ocean temperature isn’t that warm for March. Most “all-snow” storms in the Philadelphia area have come with ocean temperatures in the 30s, so we’re not that far off. But it’s still 44, which favors a change to rain at some point.

But a warm ocean also helps intensify Nor’easters, and brings more moisture into the storm. If the atmosphere is cold enough for snow, that extra moisture can turn a big snowstorm into a bigger snowstorm. I have discussed this impact on our monster snowstorms in recent years. The 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th biggest snows in Philadelphia’s recorded history (since 1874) have occurred in 2010, 2009, and 2016 respectively. In each case, unusually high “precipitable water” was offshore ahead of the storms. We will certainly be following this factor.

The overall pattern shows unusually warm water over much of the Western Atlantic. The red areas show the biggest warm “anomalies”. This would help add moisture to any coming Nor’easter. 

THE COMPUTER MODELS VARY-AN UNCERTAIN TRACK

As is often the case, the track of the coming storm will be crucial in determining snow amounts in our area. A track closer to the coast would bring warmer air up from the south and east, and surely turn any snow to rain well inland. A track far offshore would suggest even the shore could get all snow, and areas N&W of Philadelphia would see less precipitation overall. This is a typical forecast challenge with winter storms.

The American model, the GFS, has been tracking the storm right up the coast, which would severely limit snow totals from Philadelphia to the shore. But it would slam areas N&W of Philly with the biggest snow totals-and I mean BIG. (I refuse to mention or show specific amounts this far in advance-even from multiple models. The numbers usually change back and forth, and people tend to only remember the highest numbers). Here is their map:

The LOW pressure center is close to Cape May 7am Tuesday, with heavy rain or even thunderstorms along the coast (red), rain to Philly (green), and heavy snow in much of eastern PA (dark blue).

The Canadian model shows a strong storm, but the LOW is centered way offshore. As a result, the heavier snow is near the Delaware Beaches and Jersey Shore, with lighter snows in eastern Pennsylvania.

A solution between the two above models would lead to the biggest snows in our area overall. And guess what the European model (the world’s best overall) shows? Yup-an ideal track and strength for a big snowstorm. And what I have called “the best of the best”, the European “ensembles” shows the same thing. This caused many forecasters to raise their eyebrows Friday.

But how will the models change over the next couple of days? Will the European stay consistent, or flip-flop as it has done at times in the recent past? The computer models overall vary enough that it’s clearly too early for absolute forecasts. But what they all agree on-a Nor’easter with lots of moisture will affect our area Monday night and Tuesday. And some part of our area is likely to be slammed with snow as a result. Stay tuned over the weekend, so there won’t be surprises when you get up Monday morning and hear the forecast.

The Cape May Brewing Company nestled in the Jersey Shore is celebrating St. Patrick's Day by hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Paddy on March 17 at 2 p.m. in the brewery’s Tasting Room on 1288 Hornet Road in the Cape May Airport.

For the St. Patrick’s Day festivities the brewery will be releasing eight Irish beers:

• Sweet Stout – Unadulterated Cape May Stout
• O’Bourbon stout – Stout infused with oak chips soaked in bourbon flavoring
• Holy Mole Stout- Stout conditioned with dried chipotle peppers, cinnamon, and cocoa nibs
• Smoked Stout – Stout aged on smoked oak cubes
• Shamrock Stout – Infused with mint extract and vanilla
• Seacláid Oráiste Stout – Stout conditioned on sweet orange peels and cocoa nibs
• Irish Potato Stout – Stout aged on toasted coconut and cinnamon chips
• Irish Coffee Stout – Avalon Coffee Stout infused with Irish Coffee extract

In addition to unveiling new beverages, the event will showcase WZXL DJ Scott Reilly playing the greatest of classic rock between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. He will also play a role in picking the winner of tickets to the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival, which runs from March 31 and April 1.

The Cape May Brewery will be tapping its first beer from the employee one-barrel brewing system. The system is a new way of testing products and new recipes, and getting staff new-comers acclimated to the brewing process.

The Irish Goodbye, an easy drinking ale with full bodied flavor and the first brew from the one-barrel brewing system will be available all day. The beer is named after the practice of exiting an event without a proper farewell to guests. Yet partakers in the St. Patrick’s Day event might want to stick around for the beer.

Men of all ages are invited to take charge of their health at the 20th Annual Men’s Wellness Breakfast.

The event, sponsored by Kenny and Faatimah Gamble, offers preventative health education for men to learn the latest in traditional and holistic medicines. The event will include a breakfast, educational forum and free health screenings—including chiropractic consultation and hearing screenings.

A list of presenters, including founder and medical director of the Burton Wellness Injury Center, Frederick Burton M.D., will be leading discussions on various topics including heart disease and reproductive health.

The forum will take place on Sunday at the Universal Audenried Charter School at 3301 Tasker Street in Philadelphia. Over 500 men have already registered, but tickets are still available. For more information, visit their official website.

Emergency crews from Willimantic rescued a Great Dane that fell into the icy Willimantic River this morning. 

Emergency crews, including Willimantic City Fire and Willimantic police, responded to the water off Route 66, near Mackey's and the town line, and rescued "Mike" the dog after he slipped down a steep embankment and fell into the water.

Mike was tired and struggling when rescue crews arrived, and has been taken to North Windham Animal Hospital to be treated for exposure to the cold water.

"This was the first time in my career that I have witnessed this type of emergency call. Willimantic City Fire did an amazing job with this rescue," Lt. Stanley Parizo Jr., said in a statement. 

Residents were evacuated from their homes after a neighboring two story row home caught fire in West Philadelphia.

The three alarm fire ignited Saturday around 9:30 a.m. from a home located at 62nd and Arch Streets in Philadelphia. Heavy smoke could be seen billowing from a rear, second-story window as crews began to fight the blaze.

Firefighters brought the flames under control around at 11:33 a.m. No injuries were reported.

The Red Cross is assisting around 20 people who were displaced by the fire. Officials have not yet revealed the cause.

A burglary suspect died after fighting with a homeowner in North Philadelphia overnight, according to police. 

A 27-year-old man told police he was inside his home on the 4800 block of N. 12th Street around 3 a.m. Saturday when he heard a noise coming from his living room on the first floor. When the man went downstairs he saw a 54-year-old man sitting on his couch and the front porch window open, investigators said.

The homeowner was standing between the suspect and the front door, police said. After the homeowner told him to leave, the suspect went toward the front door and pushed him, according to officials. The homeowner then tripped the suspect and the men began to fight.

The homeowner told investigators the fight spilled outside of the home and he was able to yell for a neighbor to call police. The homeowner held the suspect and waited on the front porch. When police arrived, the suspect was unconscious and they performed CPR on him. The unidentified suspect was then taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:47 a.m.

Police say the suspect’s motive was burglary and theft. They have not yet released his identity or a cause of death. They continue to investigate.  

After much of the area had temperatures above 60 degrees last week, we're now dealing with another round of winter weather. NBC10's Lauren Mayk reports live from Chester County with a whole stadium full of cold people for Saturday's Philadelphia Union game.

Residents in our area had to deal with a cold and windy weekend. NBC10's Drew Smith has the details.

A 13-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head Friday night and police are searching for two men they believe are connected to the shooting.

Police responded to a shooting inside a takeout restaurant at the 2000 block of W. Hunting Park Avenue around 10:30 p.m. When officers arrived on scene, they found the teenage victim unresponsive on the floor, suffering from a gunshot to his head.

The teen was taken to Temple University Hospital. No arrests have been made and police have not yet revealed a motive.

Police have released surveillance photos of the suspects and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the two men. Anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts can contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or call 911.

Thousands of customers who were impacted by a fire at a PECO substation Tuesday lost power again Saturday due to the bitter cold temperatures.

Officials say Saturday's temperatures caused generators to malfunction for residents in the Hunting Park section of the city and other North Philadelphia neighborhoods. In all, 11,598 PECO customers lost power Saturday. That number was reduced to 1,553 as of 10:30 p.m.

The generators were being used by residents who lost power Tuesday when an electrical fire spread through the Westmoreland substation on 2634 W. Westmoreland Street. Around 36,000 customers were without power at the peak of the fire.

Traffic lights at surrounding intersections throughout North Philadelphia were out due to the fire. Generators and stop signs were placed in impacted intersections from Broad to 33rd streets and in the Hunting Park section of the city. Police also assisted at the busier intersections.

PECO crews continue to work to restore power for those impacted by the outages Tuesday and Saturday.

A First Alert has been issued for Monday overnight through Tuesday. Why? A major late-season storm is expected to pass the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The result? A lot of snow for some, and heavy rain for others. That’s what it’s looking like, for now, at least.

Let’s explain.

A storm center producing snow and forcing more cold air across the region (after an already cold air mass will be hanging over us) is expected to shift in from the west. At nearly the same time, a coastal low will form off the southern Atlantic coast.

That coastal low is expected to chug up the east coast, and arrive at our doorstep by Tuesday afternoon. Tons of moisture, strong wind gusts and mild air will be forced into a cold air mass. It’s the perfect ingredients for a stormy Tuesday.

Who sees what?

That depends on where you are—it’s all about neighbourhood forecasting. We’re calling the First Alert “two pronged.”

The first component of the First Alert is for the PA Suburbs, Lehigh Valley, and Berks county. These areas now look to see all snowfall during the event. In addition, it appears these neighborhoods will see the heavier bands of snow which will lead to the highest accumulations. For now, we’re expected 6-10+” for the Suburbs, and 10+” for Upper Montgomery, Upper Chester, and Upper Bucks counties through to the Lehigh Valley and Berks County.

The “+” on the forecasted values is our way of letting you know this storm still has a long way to go. It needs to interact with the ocean waters up the coastline, and any land elements as it churns up the coast and edges near areas like the Carolinas. So, there is still a potential for much higher values than 10” in these areas. Remember, this is our initial forecast.

The second component of the First Alert includes the I-95 corridor, Wilmington-Philadelphia-Trenton, and our southern Neighborhoods, Delaware, South Jersey and the Shore. It’s likely moisture will enter Monday night, bringing snow, potentially heavy snow near the corridor. But it now looks more plausible that these zones will see a changeover to heavy rain, possibly thunderstorms during Tuesday morning and afternoon as the low nears the Jersey coastline and wedges warmer air and gusty conditions on land.  This may also lead to minor coastal flooding along the Jersey shore and DE beaches.

As a result, snow totals will likely be lower in these zones. Possibly only 1-3” in Southern DE and the Jersey Shore, 1-6” in South Jersey, and a tight gradient on higher amounts near the I-95 corridor. Take a look at the map below. Of course, as we watch the storm track, this may need adjustments.

Why would it change? As explained above, the storm still has to form and move up to us. Once it starts moving our way on Monday, different computer models, which aren’t in entire agreement at this point, will likely start to streamline. If the center of the coastal low gets too close to land, that pushes more rain into Philadelphia (which means less snow time). If it pulls farther out to sea, that could mean higher amounts of snow closer to Philadelphia and surrounding areas. It’s all about the track! Take a look at 3 separate computer models for the same time Tuesday morning. Notice the differences in intensity (the deep blues, yellows, and oranges), precipitation type (rain or snow), and the differences in the storm center (the red L) location.

So, it’s not a question of WILL we get rain and snow on Tuesday. It’s a question of who will see the most of what. And that depends ALL on the track.
We’ll have a CLOSE eye on the track over the next 2 days, and be constantly updating you.

Stay with the NBC10 First Alert Weather team for the latest weather updates including alerts, maps and forecasts.

A driver hit a person who was walking near the intersection of Route 73 and Fellowship Road in Mouth Laurel overnight. The driver did stay on the scene and police continue to investigate the crash.

Today is the final day of the Philadelphia Boat Show in Oaks. Visitors can check out a collection of boats to help get ready for summer and will also get a chance to see Twiggy the water skiing squirrel.

Winter isn't leaving without one last blast of cold. NBC10 Meteorologist Krystal Klei has is watching a weather pattern that will keep us cold throughout the upcoming work week and has updates Tuesday's snow potential.

If you're heading to the city to watch the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, you should definitely bundle up. NBC10's Matt DeLucia has details on what could be one of the coldest St. Patrick's Day Parades this city has seen in years.