BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The clocks went forward, but the weather turned back a season on Sunday as blinding snow squalls pushed through the Lehigh Valley.
Coverage and intensity of the snow showers decreased by about 11 p.m., but not before numerous waves of white inundated the area.
Some of the strongest squalls moved through around 4 p.m., with wind gusts near 40 mph in Allentown.
Crazy snow squall...
— Dan J Kroll (@DanJKroll) March 10, 2024
cc: @epawawx @ssigafoos pic.twitter.com/KrEnkf7h7m
It came after the area set a new daily rainfall record on Saturday.
The National Weather Service said 1.42 inches of rain fell at Lehigh Valley International Airport to kick off the weekend, breaking the record of 1.35 inches for March 9 set in 1998.
EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said the weekend was a perfect example of the “right dynamics at play” for a snowy Sunday.
“I hear all the time it’s getting too late in the season, it can’t snow anymore, sun angle is too high, it can’t snow during the day, certainly can’t stick on the roads,” Martrich said in his Monday video forecast.
“I hear the excuses all the time of why it can’t snow or why this can’t happen. If you have dynamics in place like we had yesterday, it doesn’t matter. It can overcome that.”
EPAWA's 3/11 and week ahead outlook, covering:
— Bobby Martrich | EPAWA (@epawawx) March 11, 2024
■ Very windy during the day today, but sun returns
■ Progressive and significant moderation this week
■ Next chance for rain possible in the week aheadhttps://t.co/gtJhTwm3oL
Wind advisory remains in effect
A wind advisory remains in effect for the region until 8 p.m. Monday, with northwest winds 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 55 mph.
The strongest gusts in the Lehigh Valley should be about 45 mph Martrich said, with the advisory covering all of Delaware, northeast Maryland, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania.
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, and tree limbs and weaker trees could be blown down, resulting in power outages.
The strongest gusts early Monday were 32 mph, with a wealth of cloud cover across the region.
After a cold start with factoring in wind chills, the National Weather Service said air temperatures are forecast to rise into the low 50s for many places. However, the strong winds will make it feel cooler.
The countdown is on
We’re a little more than a week out from the spring equinox, which begins at 11:06 p.m. March 19.
Martrich said we’ll have some very warm temperatures coming in this week as we count down to the official change in season.
Tuesday will see a 12- to 13-degree jump from highs on Monday, and that’s just the beginning as an upper-level ridge moves overhead Wednesday.
High temperatures should jump 5 degrees more on Wednesday — nearing the upper 60s — and Thursday and Friday look to be the warmest days of the week, with temperatures close to 70 across much of the region.
