HANOVER TOWNSHIP, LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. — A significant winter storm impacting the South and Southeast has left Lehigh Valley travelers in limbo.
Flights to and from Atlanta and Charlotte were listed as delayed or cancelled Friday morning at Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Delta flights to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were affected, as well as American Airlines flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
A full ground stop in Atlanta was reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation/National Airspace System Status at 7:50 a.m. Friday with the area under a winter storm warning until 7 a.m. Saturday.
Heavy mixed precipitation was expected in the Atlanta metro area, the National Weather Service said, with total snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches expected, with isolated amounts near three inches in some areas.
Additionally, ice accumulations between a tenth and two tenths of an inch, with localized amounts near fourth tenths in northeast Georgia, also were forecast.
As of 7:30 a.m. Friday, around 600 flights in and out of the area had been cancelled, according to FlightAware.
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport vowed to stay operational and said it had dedicated teams and nearly 40 snow removal and de-icing vehicles prepared to ensure safe operations.
Despite that declaration, several flights departing the Lehigh Valley to Charlotte were cancelled Friday morning.
Storm tracking northeast
The storm bringing heavy snow and ice across much of the South will track northeast, but is expected to have minimal impacts on the Lehigh Valley.
Snow is expected to move in southwest to northeast after midnight Friday night, tapering off early Saturday morning.
“Overall, there has been little change to snowfall totals,” the weather service said.
Most of the region is expected to see a dusting to an inch, with slightly higher totals well south of the Lehigh Valley.
❄️ No major changes to the snowfall forecast for tonight into early Saturday. Light snow begins between 10 PM to 3 AM from SW to NE, ending around 7-10 AM Saturday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Sussex county in Delaware. #PAwx #NJwx #DEwx #MDwx pic.twitter.com/fnIv1YuU95
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 10, 2025
Once the system departs, winds are expected to pick up.
“A tightening pressure gradient from the [storm] and a building high pressure system will increase our winds with gusts into Saturday night upwards of 25 mph, along with lows ranging from the low to mid 20s,” the latest NWS forecast discussion said.
Wind chills will be in the teens for most.
By Sunday, winds are expected to decrease as daytime highs push into the upper 30s to low 40s.
