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Although the past week has been relatively mild, winter weary residents of eastern Pennsylvania are being warned not to put away their snow shovels and sidewalk salt just yet. A significant snowstorm is possible Sunday into Monday, according to meteorologists who are tracking the developing system and its potential to impact travel throughout the region.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the Lehigh Valley and other parts of southeastern Pennsylvania for possible snow accumulations in excess of 6 inches, with winds gusting 35 mph starting Sunday morning.

A 5 p.m. Friday update from the NWS office in Mount Holly, N.J., said forecasters have “moderate confidence” the storm could produce “moderate to potentially major impacts from snowfall across much of the area” and noted that “widespread snow accumulations” of half a foot of snow or more “are expected.”

Although there could be some mixing with rain when the precipitation starts, areas north of I-78 are likely to see only snow.

The developing system will be a coastal storm, and winds as well as snowfall totals are likely to be greatest closer to the Jersey shore, according to information included in the update.

One graphic that identified the Allentown area as having a 13 percent chance of seeing at least 18 inches of snow showed coastal areas of Ocean County, N.J., with a 40 to 50 percent chance of a foot-and-a-half of the white stuff. Coastal flood watches have also been issued for the New Jersey and Delaware shorelines.

Although the snowfall could be significant in the Lehigh Valley–which has endured an unusually cold winter so far–the storm is not expected to be followed by a wave of Arctic air, as was the case in late January. Highs in the low to mid 40s and rain are in the forecast for later in the week, which would allow for relatively rapid melting to occur.

The National Weather Service office said it would provide a new update on the storm by 7 a.m. Saturday.