Rain May Enroach on Pope Francis' Visit to Philadelphia

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

September 25,2015; 10:16PM,EDT

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of people are anticipating the chance to see Pope Francis during his tour in the United States through this weekend.
As part of his tour, the pope will make stops in New York City and Philadelphia following his stop in Washington, D.C. The pope will meet with the United Nations, various churches and schools as well as make other public appearances.
Pope Francis touched down on U.S. soil on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Washington, D.C., which marked the start of his tour.

Pope Francis' First Official Visit to the United States

In all three cities, tickets for public masses, papal parades and even public transportation were highly coveted.
Dry weather is favored for the three cities during the week, but rain could arrive this weekend.
"How much the weather deteriorates along the coast this weekend will depend upon the track of an Atlantic storm," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama accompany Pope Francis to the stage during a state arrival ceremony, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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The pope will return to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday morning to fly to his last U.S. city, Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love will host the most public appearances and events on Pope Francis' U.S. tour.
After flying into Philadelphia International Airport at approximately 9:30 a.m. EDT, the pope will conduct mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The weather should initially make for easy air travel for the pope as he arrives in Philadelphia. However, rain could move into the city by Sunday.
"The Atlantic storm has a chance of producing windswept rain as far west as Philadelphia before the pope departs the city," Sosnowski said.

After taking a visit to Independence Hall at 4:45 p.m. EDT Saturday, the pope will travel to the Festival of Families at Benjamin Franklin Parkway and hold a Prayer Vigil with World Meeting of Families (WMOF) at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
The WMOF is the world's largest meeting of Catholic families, held once every three years. Hundreds of thousands are expected to be in attendance as Philadelphia celebrates Francis Festival. Philadelphia is offering areas for both ticket holders and non-ticket holders.
Temperatures will rise into the mid-70s F on Saturday, with windy but dry conditions.
While dry conditions on Saturday will not inhibit any travel, the city has limited public transportation use to special pass holders only.
Conditions may take a turn on Sunday as a system in the Atlantic moves up the East coast. Temperatures could fall into the upper 60s F if the system pushes as far north as Philadelphia.
Reinforcing cool air will hold strong over the area during the pope's visit, making for more uncomfortable conditions for people packed together on city streets.
"Even if rain misses the city, cloudy skies and a cool breeze will still make it feel like a dreary, autumnlike day," Rathbun said.
However, the chance for rain could be disruptive during his appearances.
"If rain hits, it will fall in the afternoon," AccuWeather Meteorologist Maggie Samuhel said. "It would be a solid rainfall, so people should be prepared with rain jackets."
Following meetings with bishops at St. Martin's Chapel, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary on Sunday morning, the pope will visit the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility north of Center City.
Pope Francis will say mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 4 p.m. EDT Sunday after a papal parade. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said a million people are expected to attend the mass.
The pope will also ride up and down the Ben Franklin Parkway and around City Hall as part of the papal parade.
After the mass, the pope's final appearance will be with organizers, volunteers and benefactors of the WMOF at Atlantic Aviation.
For his scheduled 8 p.m. EDT departure to Rome on Sunday, unsettled conditions could cause delays out of Philadelphia. For his arrival in Rome, a storm might form in southern Italy.
AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions, AccuWeather's commercial weather-for-business services company, was selected to work onsite in Philadelphia with city public safety and first responder agencies, providing up-to-the-minute weather intelligence to mitigate risk and limit the potential exposure of severe weather's impact during events.