Saucon Source (https://sauconsource.com/category/weather/)
The transition from warmer-than-average fall weather to wintry conditions eastern Pennsylvania has been experiencing could culminate Friday with a chance of snow squalls, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
Although it has been an unusually dry summer so far, temperatures in the Lehigh Valley area–for the most part–have also been remarkably comfortable. That’s about to change.
Ten days ago the Saucon Valley area was dealing with another round of snow, but the mild weather that has prevailed since then is making winter seem like a distant memory.
With the first day of spring little more than a week away, many residents of the Lehigh Valley have begun putting their snow shovels and sidewalk salt away, secure in the knowledge that the relatively uneventful winter of 2021-2022 is nearly over. According to meteorologists, however, Mother Nature is preparing one last, icy curveball for them.
Tuesday’s high temperature at Lehigh Valley International Airport of 73 degrees shattered a nearly 50-year-old record and coaxed some bulbs to flower early. The mild conditions were short-lived however, as by Wednesday it was snowing across the region.
In spite of near record warmth across eastern Pennsylvania on Wednesday the calendar still says “February,” and Mother Nature is planning a return to more seasonable temperatures along with snow, sleet and ice for Thursday and Friday.
The approaching band of heavy snow prompted local police and state officials to issue emergency alerts warning motorists that hazardous driving conditions were expected.
Thousands of residents in southern Lehigh, southern Northampton and upper Bucks counties were without power Friday morning, after a powerful storm system producing wind gusts of 55 mph or greater, toppling trees and utility poles throughout the area.
The Lehigh Valley is expected to be on the northwestern fringe of a major winter storm weather forecasters believe will blow up along the Eastern seaboard Friday night, but locally, travel conditions may still be hazardous.
The National Weather Service 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.
The winter storm that began late Sunday dumped as much as 4 inches of snow across the area before the snow changed to sleet, freezing rain and then rain. Monday morning the rain changed back to light snow, though barely enough to coat the slush puddles that formed as temperatures rose into the 30s.
