Monday’s dreary weather very well may have been the proverbial calm before a nuisance-type winter storm arrives in Saucon Valley.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service have issued a winter weather advisory for the Lehigh Valley for 1 to 3 inches of snow followed by sleet and freezing rain which could accumulate up to two tenths of an inch.
“A prolonged icing event is possible especially for the Lehigh Valley, southern
Poconos and northwestern New Jersey,” the NWS said Monday afternoon. “The Tuesday morning commute will be affected. Bridges and overpasses will be especially slippery.”
According to the winter weather advisory statement, motorists should plan for slippery road conditions overnight and into Tuesday morning’s rush hour.
“Snow will mix with sleet and freezing rain this evening,” the NWS statement said. “Precipitation may become predominantly freezing rain and sleet tonight before gradually becoming rain Tuesday morning as surface temperatures slowly climb above freezing. Rain will continue Tuesday afternoon, possibly briefly mixing with snow before ending Tuesday evening.”
The National Weather Service office in its 5 p.m. Monday briefing about the storm also warned about the possibility of urban and poor drainage flooding from heavy rain Tuesday as well as damage from wind gusts of up to 40 mph Wednesday and Wednesday night.
“Snow squalls are possible on Wednesday afternoon and evening mainly north
of I-78,” the briefing also indicated. “Brief periods of hazardous travel conditions are possible in squalls.”
Lehigh Valley Weather Authority on Facebook issued a forecast Monday evening which calls for a coating to three inches of snow accumulation between 8 p.m. and midnight.
The snow will then turn to freezing rain, which will ice up area roads and sidewalks until the temperature rises above freezing between 7 and 8 a.m., LVWA forecaster Tony Luchini predicted.
“The Tuesday Morning Commute will be impacted!” he stressed.
Luchini also noted that Tuesday’s forecast high of just 33 degrees will limit melting of the .15 to .35 inches of ice accrual he expects in our area, which is within a highlighted area on his forecast map called the “ice zone.”
If the winter weather is severe enough to close schools Tuesday it will be the second day off in a row for Saucon Valley students, who stayed home Monday after an early morning police standoff situation in Hellertown borough prompted the cancellation of classes as a precautionary measure.
Listen to this week’s episode of Saucon Source’s new podcast, No Rain Date, for the five-day forecast from Lehigh Valley Weather Authority along with a weather trivia question. If you answer the question correctly, you will be entered in a drawing to win a prize.
For information and updates about the approaching winter weather event, be sure to follow Lehigh Valley Weather Authority on Facebook.
