NEW STORY: Winter storm sets sights on Lehigh Valley: When the snow will start, how much and what to expect
The Lehigh Valley is facing the potential for its biggest snowfall of the season this weekend as a coastal storm takes shape.
Anywhere between 5 to 10 inches of snow is now expected across the area, according to a winter storm watch issued by the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. The watch is for Sunday morning through Sunday evening.
The Valley will see the highest amounts — 8 to 10 inches — in northern Lehigh and Northampton counties, according to the weather service’s snowfall projection map issued late Friday afternoon. Up to a foot of snow is possible across a large section of the Poconos.
The snow is likely to be heavy at times, which will create hazardous road conditions. Snowfall rates of an inch per hour are possible, according to the weather service.
“Travel could be very difficult,” the weather service warned.
Strong winds combined with the weight of the snow could down tree limbs and power lines, leading to power outages, according to the weather service.
The shift in snowfall projections come as “forecast guidance has come into better agreement” and shown an overall northwestern shift to the track” of the storm, the weather service noted in its forecast discussion late Friday afternoon.
“Factoring in rather high snow-to-liquid ratios to the north and west, there again has been an increase in forecaster confidence in plowable snowfall for areas northwest of the I-95 corridor,” according to the weather service.
Forecasters noted that there’s still some uncertainty around the storm, and the forecast could change again ahead of Sunday. If the snowfall projections hold, the storm would be the biggest of the season.
So far this winter, the region has had several light snowfalls totaling several inches. The latest storm arrived Thursday night, with most areas of the Valley getting about an inch of snow, according to the weather service. That was just enough snow to prompt some area schools to open on a delay Friday morning.
Snow is not expected before Sunday, but forecasters said there is a chance of rain Saturday.
Sunday’s storm will usher in some of the coldest weather in years across the Lehigh Valley. The weather service said “dangerous cold” is possible starting Sunday night and continuing through Wednesday night. Highs in the teens and lows near zero are expected.
Here is the extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
Saturday: Showers likely, mainly between 10am and 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 40. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight.
Sunday: Snow, mainly after 11 a.m. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 30. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
Sunday Night: Snow likely, mainly before 7 p.m. The snow could be heavy at times. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 13. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 21. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -2.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 15.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 2.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 17.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 2.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 24.
How much snow did the Lehigh Valley get Thursday? Totals from around the region
