After a mild weekend and a sunny Monday, the weather is forecast to deteriorate across east central Pennsylvania overnight Monday and early Tuesday, as a storm system moves in from the west, bringing snow with it.
Light snow is expected to develop after midnight and clear out of the area by around noon Tuesday.
“This will be a quick hitter and amounts will be on the light side,” PA Weather Action Lead Forecaster Chris Corrigan wrote in his forecast discussion for Monday, Jan. 29. “But once again, this is another system (which) because of the timing…will impact the morning commute to work and school tomorrow.”
According to a first call snowfall forecast map published Sunday by PA Weather Action, Northampton County and eastern Lehigh County could receive a coating to an inch of snow as a result of the sytem, while western Lehigh County and points further west could receive 1 to 2 inches of snow.
“Although snow amounts will be on the light side, it is a very tricky forecast to pinpoint where the greatest snow amounts will fall,” Corrigan said.
A final call forecast will be posted by PA Weather Action Monday evening.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook because of the approaching winter weather.
“Minor travel impacts from the snow are expected for a majority of the region,” it says. “However, a higher impact is possible during the (Tuesday) morning commute, primarily at higher elevations in eastern Pennsylvania where the potential for snow to accumulate on roads is greatest.”
One or two inches of snow are possible, per the NWS forecast.
Another winter storm could affect the area later this week.
“There is a potential for rain to change to snow Thursday into Friday,” the National Weather Service said. However, “snowfall amounts and impacts are highly uncertain at this time.”