BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As the first measurable winter precipitation of the season hit the Lehigh Valley on Thursday, the National Weather Service cautioned residents, but were predicting the worst would be over by early evening.
But that didn’t mean people didn’t have to deal with slick roads and walkways.
Late Thursday morning, Palmer Township Police and the state Transportation Department confirmed a crash that closed part of westbound Route 22 near the 25th Street exit.
According to Sargent Michael Vangelo, a man in his early 20s driving a Honda sedan crashed into a guardrail after losing control of the car.
Vangelo said the man was "heavily entrapped" in the car, and rushed to a nearby hospital with severe injuries — but is expected to survive.
PennDOT asked motorists to avoid the area, but it has since re-opened.
Vangelo offered advice to anyone planning to drive today:
"Stay home, if possible, and if you have to drive, please drive slow and safe," he said.
Winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings were issued for much of the region, with the Lehigh Valley is under a winter weather advisory from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.
Total snow accumulations of up to 2 inches and ice accumulations of 0.1 of an inch were expected, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
- The Lehigh Valley is under a winter weather advisory Thursday
- Precipitation should arrive as snow in the morning, transitioning to sleet and rain later in the day
- A section of Route 22 near Easton was closed due to a crash, but has since re-opened
- Worse weather is expected north of the area, with Monroe and Carbon counties under a winter storm warning
As is often the cases with wintry weather in the region, locations north of the Lehigh Valley will see a longer duration and greater amounts of frozen precipitation because of colder temperatures. It's the reason winter storm warnings are blanketing Monroe and Carbon counties, where heavy precipitation is expected.
In those areas, the weather service is calling for total snow accumulations of up to 7 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze, with winds gusting as high as 40 mph.
The combination of ice and snow accumulations with wind gusts up to 40 mph could result in some tree and power line damage, the weather service said.
"While we may not get quite to warning criteria for much of these counties with either snow or ice, the cumulative impacts of both ice and snow (along with breezy conditions) will likely lead to more significant impacts than one would typically see with these snow and ice amounts alone," NWS meteorologist Sarah Johnson wrote in the latest forecast discussion.
As the day goes on, temperatures should rise above freezing in most areas from southeast to northwest. Still, heavy rain is anticipated on the back end of the storm, and won't clear out of the area until early Friday.
Uncertainties in the forecast
Forecasters say temperatures continue to present the biggest uncertainty in this forecast — especially temperatures aloft, well above the surface.
Some places could see cold air hang around longer than anticipated, leading to a longer duration of snow and ice and a very messy evening commute.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) are advising motorists to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm. Additionally, the agencies will implement various speed and vehicle restrictions throughout the storm.
Last winter in Pennsylvania, preliminary statewide data shows that there were 266 crashes resulting in two fatalities and 116 injuries on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways where aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding or making careless lane changes were factors, a news release from PennDOT said Wednesday.
