BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley will see some snow tonight.
Meaning, Punxsutawney Phil's prediction may ring true when he called for six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day.
Rain and snow are expected after 5 p.m. Sunday, with total daytime snow accumulation of less than an inch, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
"Vertical forecast soundings do not look all that favorable for a strong warm nose to set up a robust sleet/freezing rain setup."National Weather Service Mount Holly forecast discussion
Most of the action is set to take place before midnight, again with less than an inch of snow accumulation.
"As the upper-level shortwave trough shifts across the Mid- Atlantic late this afternoon into this evening, a period of light snow is forecast for Northeast PA and northern NJ," a forecast discussion from the NWS says.
"Overall, dynamics are weak with this system, so vertical forecast soundings do not look all that favorable for a strong warm nose to set up a robust sleet/freezing rain setup."
Farther north will see measurable snow, according to the weather service. The forecast discussion predicts 1 to 2 inches of snow in the Pocono Plateau.
"Areas along the I-95 corridor will likely see precipitation start in some form of a wintry mix before becoming more rainy as it tapers off," the discussion says.
"Temperatures will remain rather steady through most of the night, perhaps even warming by a degree or two behind the warm front, but eventually cool down to the mid 20s to low 30s as the system departs very early Monday morning."
More snow ahead
The Allentown area still is below its typical year-to-date snowfall, EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said in his Feb. 2 weather update.
"Snowiest month, climatologically speaking, of the year is right here — right in the February period."EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich
In a graphic in his update, Martrich shows that the normal year-to-date snowfall would have been 15.9 inches, whereas Allentown's current year-to-date snowfall is a few inches below that at 13.4 inches.
Surrounding areas also are behind, except for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.
Martrich also shared that the average snowfall for Allentown in February is 10.8 inches.
"Snowiest month, climatologically speaking, of the year is right here — right in the February period," Martrich said.
Later in the week — Wednesday and Saturday — presents more chances of snow, according to the National Weather service.
