SHORT TERM FORECAST
TODAY: Mostly cloudy and with snow showers that develop during the afternoon. Maximum: 31
TONIGHT: Wind with snow, some intense, mixed with sleet and rain in the south and east of the Lehigh Valley. Minimum: 25
THURSDAY: Persistent snow and showers in the morning, then clouds broken by an afternoon sun; alive and cold. High: 33 Low: 16
FORECAST SUMMARY
Tuesday was calm before the storm, the storm was a significant winter storm early in the season, still expected to bring snow and wind to the area later today early Thursday and for some as well a mixture of rain and rain.
Accumulations are likely to occur, and for most of the north and west of Interstate 95, you expect arable snow with accumulations of moderate to higher, even further north and west and higher in your elevation. Things remain silent during the first part of today, before the snow develops and intensifies constantly during the afternoon and evening hours.
Chronology of winter storms: this is what to expect from Wednesday to Thursday
Overnight, expect some warm air to change the snow for sleet from Lehigh Valley to the south and east, and even flat rain to parts of the Delaware Valley. Any night mix can end up like snow as the storm ends early Thursday morning; then cold and drier weather will be the norm the rest of the week until the start of the weekend.
DETAILED FORECAST
TODAY AND TODAY
Wednesday began to get dry as the clouds thickened, with snow developing from southwest to northeast around noon and early afternoon. The snow starts to be soft at first, but sometimes it will get stronger and heavier this evening until the first part of the night.
Cold ground and cold temperatures will cause the snow to stick right away, unlike the minor snow we saw earlier in the week. Between this and the heaviest snowfall rates, road conditions will begin to drop quite rapidly during the afternoon and early evening.
North of Interstate 78 at the highest elevations of the Poconos, northwestern New Jersey, and along Interstate 81 corridor through Schuylkill and Luzerne counties, the storm remains mostly snowy. Along and south of Interstate 78 from the Lehigh Valley to the south and east, snow will mix and change to sleet overnight, and even rain will be easy toward the Corridor of Highway 95 and Delaware Valley.
Accumulations
The mixture, in addition to a “dry groove” or a lighter, dispersed precipitation area, will be reduced in accumulations.
– Expect a foot or more of snow from the Blue Ridge and Slate Belt to the north, where things are all snow.
– In the Lehigh Valley and along I-78 due to additional mixing problems, accumulations now appear to be between 8 and 12 inches.
– Further south and east, where mixing is more frequent, closer, but north and west of Interstate 95, 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected.
– And to the south and east of the I-95 corridor to the coast, it is mostly rain and wind with little snow accumulation expected.
Rapid winds are expected to develop, especially tonight, when winds can crawl at 40 miles per hour, causing blowing and drifting snow and some scattered power outages.
THURSDAY
Any Wednesday night mix can change from snow or showers before sunrise Thursday before it’s over as the morning progresses as our coastal storm kicks off quickly. A lively northerly breeze will persist, as will many clouds, with some gusts in the afternoon.
Temperatures won’t move much, hovering for the low 30s most of the day as cleaning and digging begin. Add the wind and keep the chills below the ice cream all day.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
High pressure increases, winds decrease and seasonal cold air settles during the beginning of the weekend. Don’t expect the snow to melt so quickly, with afternoon highs in the mid-30s and night lows until teenagers thanks to clear skies and a deep layer of snow.
On Sunday, a weak cold front will approach from our west increasing the clouds. We’ll get a warmer touch ahead of the front as the highs return to the top 30s at around 40 degrees … more seasonal at this time of year. The front can cause rain or snow in the late hours of the day or night, but right now we don’t expect it to be a big deal.
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