If you’re tired of snow, the good news is that a warm-up is on the way. The bad news is that before temperatures begin to rise, another round of snow is also expected.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the area for 2 to 4 inches of snow Monday, when precipitation is forecast to begin in the morning.
“Much of the snow could come in a quick one to three-hour burst (in the) late morning to early afternoon, causing conditions to rapidly deteriorate,” the advisory statement said. “During this time, snow rates of one inch per hour or more are possible.”
The advisory will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, and the NWS said both the morning and evening commutes could be impacted by the storm, with roads expected to become slippery.
Traffic moves along a snow-covered Rt. 378 in Lower Saucon Township in December 2020. (FILE PHOTO)
The advisory covers Northampton, Lehigh and Berks counties in eastern Pennsylvania.
Just 20 or so miles to the north, even more snow is expected Monday, with Carbon and Monroe counties under winter weather advisories for accumulations of 3 to 5 inches.
In the wake of Monday’s wintry precipitation, a late February thaw is in the forecast.
High temperatures Tuesday are expected to be in the low 40s, and by Wednesday could even surpass 50 degrees in the Lehigh Valley. Beyond the mid-week period, highs are forecast to remain somewhat above average at least through Sunday.
The warm-up will mark a big change from the rest of February, which began with a record-breaking two-day snowstorm that dumped up to 30 inches on parts of the area.
Although eastern Pennsylvania hasn’t experienced the bitter cold parts of the midwest and deep south have in recent weeks, frequent smaller rounds of winter weather have disrupted work, school and travel for many people. Countless hours have been devoted to copious amounts of snow and ice removal at the individual, institutional and municipal levels. Now, however, it appears Mother Nature is ready to lend a hand with those tasks.
