The Lehigh Valley area received a brief taste of winter on Jan. 6, when up to a half foot of snow fell. Heavy rain and mild temperatures melted most of what accumulated, but a return to winter cold and snow is in the forecast. Pictured above is Polk Valley Park in Lower Saucon Township on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.
Aside from a storm that dropped as much as half a foot of snow on parts of the area last weekend, weather-wise the first two weeks of January have been atypical of winter in Pennsylvania. Temperatures have averaged well above normal and most of the precipitation that has fallen–heavily, in some cases–has been in the form of rain.
According to forecasters, that’s about to change.
In the wake of another rainstorm that could cause flooding and power outages Friday night and Saturday, much colder air is expected to arrive in successive waves, along with the possibility of snow showers on Sunday and more significant snow Tuesday.
The current National Weather Service forecast for the Lehigh Valley beyond Saturday is a frosty one, even by harsher winter standards. It shows temperatures falling from a high near 50 degrees Saturday into the upper 20s on Saturday night, and after Sunday’s high of 36 remaining below freezing until at least Friday, Jan. 19.
The coldest day next week is forecast to be Wednesday, when the NWS is predicting a high temperature of 24 and a low of just 13 degrees in Allentown.
Sunday could be the warmest day next week but it will feel colder because of gusty winds and intermittent cloudiness, with some of the clouds potentially producing snow showers into the evening.
Monday–which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a holiday for many people–is forecast to be sunny but cold, with a high of 29 degrees.
Then on Tuesday, the NWS forecast includes a 60 percent chance of snow, which could continue overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Before the real winter weather returns, residents may once again have to deal with both flooding and damaging winds, due to the storm that will impact the region Friday night and Saturday.
The NWS has issued a flood watch for Northampton, Lehigh and upper Bucks counties from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday and a wind advisory from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Saturday, when gusts of up to 50 mph could cause power outages.
“Extremely saturated soils due to previous rainfall events may result in trees and power poles being more more susceptible to wind,” the wind advisory statement noted.
Although rainfall from the storm isn’t expected to exceed much more than an inch, the already-saturated soils will result in more runoff than is typical, which could contribute to localized flooding.
“Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks,” the flood watch statement said. “Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be flooded. Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with more heavy rain.”
Click here to view the latest forecast, along with current weather watches and advisories.