Some wintry weather is forecast in the Lehigh Valley region just as the holiday travel period is ramping up ahead of Christmas and New Year’s.
The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration this week said it expects to screen nearly 40 million air travelers from Thursday, Dec. 19, through Thursday, Jan. 2, a 6.2% increase from this time last year. The busiest days are projected to be Friday, Dec. 20, and 27, along with Monday, Dec. 30.
AAA projects 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the year-end holiday period from Saturday, Dec. 21, to Wednesday, Jan. 1. This year’s domestic travel projection narrowly surpasses the previous record set in 2019 by 64,000 travelers, according to news release from the travel club. AAA expects an additional 3 million travelers this holiday season compared to last year.
“This is the time of year when lifelong memories are made with loved ones, and travel plays a big role in that,” states Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “This year, with Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, we’re anticipating record-breaking travel numbers the weekend before and the weekend after the holiday.”
The vast majority will travel by auto, and AAA has recommendations on when to get on the road — based on an analysis from INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights.
AccuWeather.com says that while no significant winter storms are expected for travelers and shoppers in the days leading up to Christmas, there will be multiple pesky storms that can cause their share of trouble. A series of storms that run from the northern United States and the southern tier of Canada to the Atlantic coast will cause problems for travelers into the weekend, according to the Pennsylvania-based forecast company.
In the Lehigh Valley, Thursday into Friday is forecast with seasonable high and low temperatures around 42 and 29, the National Weather Service says. Winds shift from the northwest to northeast, around 5 mph, heading overnight into Friday ahead of a chance of snow before 1 p.m., according to the weather service forecast for Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Rain and snow are then likely, with snow likely until about 1 a.m. Saturday. Accumulations are forecast in the range of less than a half-inch Friday and around an inch possible Friday night at the airport.
“For now, the best chance of observing accumulating snow will be across the Lehigh Valley, northern New Jersey and in the Poconos where temperatures will be cooler through the duration of the event,” the weather service said in a forecast discussion Thursday. “Current forecast snow totals in these areas are for between 1-2″, locally up to 3″. Light accumulations of a dusting up to 1″ are possible across the remainder of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and northern Delaware as rain transitions to snow on Friday night as temperatures cool below/near freezing.”
Weather service meteorologists note, however, that weather systems like the one that is setting up — with a trough to the northwest of an offshore low — is “notoriously difficult to forecast as they can sometimes have localized heavier precipitation amounts.
“If this occurs, some areas could ‘over perform’ and see snowfall amounts as high as 4 or 5 inches. Best chances for this would be central into NW NJ, NE PA.”
Blustery, cold conditions follow, with highs dipping Saturday to the 20s to low 30s across the region during the day. Nighttime lows are forecast in the teens Saturday night, with even colder air expected Sunday as arctic high pressure moves in to start Christmas week.
“Sunday’s highs will only be in the 20s area wide with temperatures in the teens for the Poconos,” the weather service forecast discussion continued. “Temperatures will then crater come Sunday night with single digits forecasted for the higher elevations and the pine barrens with the urban corridor and coastal strip in the low-teens, making for the coldest night in some time!
“Monday will only be a bit better than Sunday as the airmass starts to modify with highs generally ranging from the mid 20s north to the low to mid 30s south. A new weather system will be approaching the area by the Christmas Eve into Christmas Day time frame as the high pressure system starts to retreat and temperatures modify. This currently does not look like a major system but could feature a wintry mix for parts of the area likely transitioning to mainly rain Christmas Day.”
Follow your local forecast at lehighvalleylive.com/weather with watches, warnings and other advisories available as they’re issued at lehighvalleylive.com/weather-alerts.
Current weather radar
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.
Kurt Bresswein may be reached at [email protected].
