April is off to a rainy start in the Lehigh Valley.
The National Weather Service is expecting rain every day this week through Thursday in the region. The Poconos could even see the rare April snowfall Thursday, too.
Rain started falling Monday morning and will likely move out of the area by the afternoon before returning again later in the night. Rainfall will continue Tuesday through Wednesday, according to forecasters. The region is expected to get between 2 and 3 inches of rain over the next few days.
The weather service said there is a 50% chance of rain Thursday. There is a possibility of snow in the southern Poconos that day, however forecasters on Monday said details are not clear on that just yet.
☔️ Rain impacting the area this morning will move out into the afternoon. A few more rounds of rain are expected by late tonight and Tuesday persisting through Wednesday night. A widespread 2-3" of rain is forecast over the next 3-4 days.
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly)
April follows a particularly rainy March in the Lehigh Valley. A recorded 5.14 inches of rain fell in the Allentown area over the whole month, making it the rainiest March in the area since March 2017, when 5.26 inches of rain fell, according to weather service data.
January was a rainy month for the Lehigh Valley as well. A recorded 6.32 inches of rain fell throughout the month, making it the rainiest January since 1996, when 7.32 inches of rain fell, weather service data shows.
So far this year, Lehigh Valley International Airport has recorded 13.79 inches of rain.
The region recorded 25.2 inches of snow this past winter, none of which fell in March.
The weekend should be clear with temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
Here is the extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
Monday Night: Rain likely, mainly after 4 a.m. Patchy fog after 3 a.m. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 43. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday: Rain. High near 47. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night: Periods of rain. Low around 40. East wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Wednesday: Periods of rain. High near 44. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Wednesday Night: Periods of rain, mainly before 3 a.m. Low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: A chance of rain before 9 a.m., then a chance of showers after 9 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers before 9 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52. Breezy.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 58.
Spring starts Tuesday. How did this winter stack up in the Lehigh Valley?
