Lehigh Valley’s chilly pattern will turn wet, windy as weekend coastal storm threatens

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh Valley is locked in a prolonged period of chilly and unsettled weather, and forecasters say a coastal storm could bring significant rain for the weekend.

As frost advisories and freeze warnings stretched across the region early Tuesday, the blame fell to our neighbor to the north.

• After highs well above normal last week, temperatures are now trending cooler than average
• The Lehigh Valley is in for a prolonged period of chilly and unsettled weather
• A coastal storm — perhaps a spring nor'easter — is possible this weekend

The National Weather Service said the forecast in the near-term remained largely unchanged thanks to an upper level low (also known as a cold core low) centered over southeastern Canada, where it’s expected to remain through Tuesday night.

That low will help to drive a continued west-to-northwest flow across our region, the weather service said, resulting in temperatures continuing to trend below normal.

Highs are expected to be in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees on Tuesday, and temperatures won’t improve much for the remainder of the week.

Then, a coastal storm looms for the weekend.

Beneficial rainfall ahead?

A spring soaking looks possible for the weekend, though forecasters say there are some timing and placement differences among the models.

According to the weather service, rain will develop Friday morning and should increase throughout the day and into the evening as a system lifts to our north and east.

Saturday looks like a question mark, with some models keeping precipitation in the area and others showing a window of dry weather Saturday into Saturday night.

But things will likely take a big turn on Sunday as an area of low pressure passes through the region and is followed by a stronger and more developed system that will lift along the coast Sunday night through Monday.

The storm could bring much-needed rainfall to the region, with the Lehigh Valley in pre-drought stages according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, while areas to our south are in D1 (or moderate drought) status.

When will the pattern change?

Rain and cooler temperatures are expected to carry through the beginning of next week, one local meteorologist said.

“[An] upper level low sitting over the Great Lakes is eventually going to pivot down through our region here in the Tuesday-Wednesday time frame of next week,” said EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich in his latest video update.

Martrich described it as a “parting shot” from Mother Nature but said unsettled conditions and cooler temperatures could linger for a few days.

“Once you get to Cinco de Mayo, or thereabout and beyond, then we have temperatures rebounding and the unsettled conditions that have been plaguing us … will finally move away.”