BETHLEHEM, Pa. — If Mother Nature were the bookie and you decided to place a bet on Friday, you should’ve taken the over.
A complex storm system forecasters said could overperform did that and more in the Lehigh Valley.
Snow totals more than doubled initial forecasts in many areas.
In Lehigh County, the Ancient Oaks section of Lower Macungie Township measured 4.1 inches. Salisbury Township and Center Valley later topped that measurement at 4.3 inches.
Nazareth, Northampton County, had the highest total at 4.6 inches.
The National Weather Service said Friday’s system resulted in “a difficult and challenging forecast” where an inverted trough could occur.
Inverted troughs are seasonal phenomena responsible for unexpected high-intensity snowfall in a narrow corridor.
High ratios above 10:1 (10 inches of snow for every one inch of water) led to accumulations exceeding model guidance across the area.
Lehigh County snowfall totals (updated late morning)
Ancient Oaks 4.1 inches
Lehigh Valley International Airport 3.8 inches
Center Valley 4.3 inches
Salisbury Township 4.3 inches
Germansville 3 inches
Whitehall Township 3.9 inches
Macungie 3.8 inches
North Whitehall Township 3.1 inches
Coplay 3.5 inches
Upper Macungie Township 2 inches
Washington Township 3.3 inches
Schnecksville 3.1 inches
Slatington 3.5 inches
Northampton County snowfall totals (updated late morning)
Nazareth 4.6 inches
Martins Creek 3.7 inches
Forks Township 4.3 inches
E Moore Township 3.1 inches
Bushkill Township 4.0 inches
Easton 4.0 inches
North Catasauqua 2.8 inches
Hellertown 4.3 inches
Tatamy 3.5 inches
NNE Bethlehem 3.2 inches
Brisk and cold conditions for the weekend
The public will hear a new term this weekend as it relates to the cold air settling into the region.
Carbon and Monroe counties are under a cold weather advisory from 8 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday for wind chills as low as 12 below zero expected.
The weather service said on X it transitioned to updated products on Oct. 1 as part of a Hazard Simplification Project.
“Previous products related to cold weather were consolidated or renamed starting on that date,” it said.
The Lehigh Valley will see blustery conditions and highs in the 20s on Saturday, with overnight lows in the teens. Wind chills will be in the single digits.
The bitterly cold air mass will hang on through the weekend and into Monday, with highs some 20 below normal for this time of year, the weather service said in its latest forecast discussion.
“The coldest temperatures in quite some time will be felt Sunday night with lows generally in the single digits to as low as 5 below in the southern Poconos.
In fact, the last time the low temperature was less than 10 degrees at Philadelphia International Airport was December 24, 2022 when the low was 7. It will come close to this Sunday night.”
Temperatures are expected to warm about 5 degrees on Monday compared to Sunday, but a clipper system approaching from the west Monday night could bring more light snow into the region.
