First Significant Snow of Season Expected Tuesday

UPDATE: The National Weather Service has downgraded its forecast snow totals for the Lehigh Valley, which it says can now expect to receive one or two inches before the snow changes to rain on Tuesday. A brief period of freezing rain is also possible.

A fast-moving storm system is expected to bring the first accumulating snow of the season to the Saucon Valley area Tuesday, creating a winter wonderland in early December. How much snow the area is likely to receive remains uncertain, however.

As of Monday morning, Northampton and Lehigh counties were under a winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service for 2 to 5 inches of snow and sleet, with higher amounts expected at higher elevations.

The NWS warned that snow could fall at a rate of up to one inch per hour before mixing with sleet and changing to rain Tuesday afternoon.

With precipitation expected to start around 4 a.m., Tuesday morning’s commute to work and school could be dicey.

The website PA Weather Action warned in a Facebook post Monday that melting snow and standing water left behind after the rain stops “could create an issue with black ice on the roads Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as temperatures dive into the 20s behind the storm.”

PA Weather Action’s second call forecast for the storm, issued Sunday night, is for 2 to 4 inches of snow for the Lehigh Valley.

Further north, the Poconos are under a winter storm watch Tuesday for 4 to 8 inches of snow. Across Carbon and Monroe counties, the NWS said sleet and rain could mix in with the snow before precipitation tapers off Tuesday afternoon.

The winter weather advisory for the Lehigh Valley is in effect from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Tuesday’s winter storm will be followed by a shot of colder air later in the week, according to the latest NWS forecast. A low of 12 is predicted Thursday night, and a high of just 28 degrees is forecast for Friday.

While historically not uncommon, accumulating snow and cold in early December have been relatively rare across east central Pennsylvania in recent years. That may not be the case in 2025, according to PA Weather Action Lead Forecaster Josh Adams, who wrote Monday that: “Beyond (Tuesday’s) storm, below average temperatures and an active storm track will continue.”

“While we may not be looking at big storms, these nickel and dime events will be common,” Adams said.

The next opportunity for snow in the Lehigh Valley will be Friday night, according to the latest NWS forecast.