An electronic sign that displays time and temperature at Friedman’s Service Center on Broadway in Fountain Hill displayed a temperature reading of 49 degrees on Wednesday afternoon. That is about 15 degrees above average for this time of year. Unfortunately for fans of the warmth it will be short-lived, as cold and snow are forecast to return to the area Thursday.
The sunny skies and mild temperatures that characterized Wednesday’s weather in the Lehigh Valley may have led some to believe that spring is around the corner. According to National Weather Service forecasters, however, nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, the NWS has issued a winter weather advisory that includes Lehigh, Northampton and Upper Bucks counties for rain turning to snow overnight Wednesday and early Thursday. The advisory will be in effect from 3 to 11 a.m. Thursday.
According to the advisory statement, up to 2 inches of accumulation is expected, with amounts of up to 3 inches possible in some locations.
Area residents should expect to encounter slippery road conditions Thursday morning, when “the hazardous conditions could impact the…morning commute,” the statement said.
Wednesday’s high temperatures reached the mid to upper 40s, which is well above normal for this time of year.
The same won’t be true on Thursday, when temperatures are expected to fall from a high of 32 around daybreak into the low 20s during the day.
Thursday night’s forecast low temperature in Allentown is 8 degrees, and the NWS extended forecast for the Lehigh Valley doesn’t show temperatures above 32 degrees through at least next Wednesday, Jan. 26.
The next chance of precipitation will be Friday night, when there is a slight chance of snow, according to the forecast.
Assuming that forecasters are correct, Thursday’s winter weather will be at least the third round of accumulating snow for the area so far this month.
Three to four inches of snow fell across most of the area on Jan. 7, closing schools for the day. Several inches of snow also accumulated Sunday, before temperatures warmed and the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain during the early morning hours on Monday.
