Rain could hit the Lehigh Valley this weekend during Celtic Classic.
The National Weather Service said there is a 50% chance of rain Friday night, followed by a 30% chance Saturday, which means Celtic Classic, the annual Celtic festival held in Bethlehem, could have a wet start.
Last year the festival sustained a “major loss” after rain fell throughout two of its three days. About 1.28 inches of rain fell Saturday and Sunday of last year’s festival, which accounted for nearly a third of the rain that month in the Lehigh Valley, according to the weather service.
That much rainfall is not likely this weekend. Mike Lee, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said forecasters are expecting less than a half of an inch of rain Friday to Saturday. Any rain that falls this weekend should be similar to the rainfall the area has experienced over the last few days.
There could be some heavy pockets of rain, but overall it should be pretty light, he said. The heaviest rainfall would be Friday, he said.
Sunday, the last day of the festival, should be clear, with a high of 70.
The Lehigh Valley will also not likely see the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which is expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast Thursday.
September has been very dry so far. As of Wednesday, less than an inch of rain has fallen over the entire month, according to weather service data. Lee said it is roughly 3 inches below normal for September in the Lehigh Valley.
, which tracks drought conditions throughout the country, showed Lehigh County as “abnormally dry,” in its latest map released Thursday morning. Northampton County is not under any drought conditions.
Forecasters said rain is possible again early next week. Here is the extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
Friday: A chance of showers, mainly after 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind 5-10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 71. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70.
Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Monday night: A chance of showers after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
