BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A winter weather advisory remains in effect for Lehigh and Northampton counties Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, with no significant changes to the forecast.
Northampton County could see total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches, while Lehigh County is expecting 3 to 5 inches of snow.
Higher accumulations are expected in the northern tier and higher terrain, where the weather type is expected to remain all or mostly snow for the duration of the storm.
Carbon and Monroe counties are also under a winter storm warning, with 8 to 12 inches of snow expected.
The latest on the setup and timing
Little has changed in terms of the forecast updates from the National Weather Service.
“A coastal storm is gearing up to affect the region today through Sunday. Low pressure currently over the Gulf Coast states will track to the northeast towards the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic by midday. Precipitation will first move into Delmarva, the Delaware Valley, and extreme southern New Jersey late this morning, then northeast into the rest of the area going through the afternoon.," it said in the latest forecast discussion.
"Most areas will start out as snow, except for southern Delaware and extreme southern New Jersey, where precipitation will be all rain.”
⚠️❄️☔️ No significant changes with the forecast for this weekend's coastal system. Areas northwest of I-95 will see some snow change over to rain, reducing amounts through I-78. North of I-78, significant snowfall is possible.https://t.co/JiD09ByGTv
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 5, 2024
#PAwx #NJwx #DEwx #MDwx pic.twitter.com/j6j0C47XtW
The heaviest of the precipitation will fall from late afternoon and early evening into after midnight as low pressure tracks to the north and east
Expected totals
The weather service said snow totals have come up a bit in areas where snow is expected, adding western Chester and western Montgomery counties to the winter weather advisory, with snowfall totals expected to be in the 3 to 5 inch range.
Right along the I-95 corridor, less than an inch of snow is expected. Otherwise, generally 3 to 5 inches of snow will fall through theFall Line and up to the Lehigh Valley, the weather service said. In the southern Poconos and northern New Jersey, up to a foot of snow is possible, especially at higher elevations.
EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich put the Lehigh Valley in a swath of mainly 4 to 6 inches of snow in his first call on Thursday and final call on Friday.
Another powerful storm on deck
The weather service said medium-range guidance “remains in very good consensus with indications of a powerful storm system impacting much of the eastern U.S. within the Tuesday through Wednesday time frame” next week.
Exact details and impacts remain unclear, but the system could bring strong to damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flooding.
“As of this juncture, the most severe impacts for our region appear to occur late Tuesday or Tuesday night, however, strong winds and flooding may persist through Wednesday,” the forecast discussion said.
It comes after the Lehigh Valley set a record for precipitation in the month of December, with 8.62 inches of rain.
