BETHLEHEM, Pa. — An approaching winter storm that will target the Lehigh Valley at the end of the week looks to have “a little more juice to it,” one local meteorologist said.
Some areas on Sunday saw their first official snowfall of the season — defined by the National Weather Service as an accumulation of at least 0.1 inches. But just a trace of snow was recorded in Allentown, with minor accumulations for some northern areas.
That could change later in the week.
- A storm system is targeting the region later this week
- Some areas could see snow, a mix, or rain
- Most guidance brings precipitation into the region Thursday afternoon, forecasters say
A system set to approach the region Thursday is one on which forecasters will keep a close eye.
“I do think this is going to be another winter storm,” EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said in his latest video forecast. “But it’s also going to be one of those deals where you have some areas get snow, some get a mix, some get rain, some get all three.”
EPAWA's 12/12 and week ahead outlook, covering:
— Bobby Martrich | EPAWA Meteorologist ☈ (@epawawx) December 12, 2022
■ Watching a late week system for snow/ice/rain
■ Comparative look at models currently in range
■ Early look at the upcoming weekend outlook https://t.co/sMHPp1Tjay
Martrich said the storm track is going to be key to what we get in the Lehigh Valley, as well as the transfer of energy from the primary storm system to a secondary system. That will produce a coastal storm that likely will impact the area Thursday into Friday as it tracks north along the coast.
Most guidance brings precipitation into our region Thursday afternoon, Martrich said.
“Part of our area is going to get hit with a snowfall out of this, it looks like,” he said, with the European model favoring an Interstate 95 track early Monday that could potentially bring snow to areas just north of the Lehigh Valley. That would leave the I-78 corridor and points south seeing only rain.
In that track, “you’re going to have the wintry stuff confined to the very far northern areas,” he said.
The GFS (American) model tracks southeast of I-95, which would mean snow for the Lehigh Valley at the front of the storm, if not longer.
“In this case, I-78 is very much in the snow corridor, at least initially, before any changeover occurs,” Martrich said.
The Canadian model brings the storm in earlier, taking a similar track to the European model, projecting sleet and freezing rain in the Lehigh Valley.
“You’d get a lot of icing in this situation, and that’s something you really don’t want,” Martrich said in the video. “I’d rather have the snow if we have a choice of what we want, because ice is not a good thing.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen yet. We’re just going to have to wait and see. But I do think there’s going to be some kind of wintry component to this ... and I don't mean just an inch or two. We're talking about the potential for three to six, six to 10 [inches]. There is that kind of potential with this. It's going to have the moisture."
The National Weather Service agrees, flagging what it sees as a period of snow/sleet/freezing rain possible and the potential for a “prolonged and significant wintry event” possible farther north and especially the I-80 corridor.
The storm is potentially a slow mover, so places could see 24 hours or more of precipitation.
