Colder temperatures and maybe even some snow are in the forecast the next few days in the Lehigh Valley.
Highs are expected to be in the 30s through the next week or so, and light snow is possible Friday into Saturday. More snow also could hit the area Sunday into Monday, but forecasters with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said specifics on that still are not clear.
Temperatures dropped into the 40s Wednesday after a few days of unseasonably warm temperatures, with highs in the 50s and 60s Sunday through Tuesday. Temperatures dropped into the 40s Wednesday.
After reaching a high of 39 Thursday, the weather service said highs will be dropping into the lower 30s through the next week. Temperatures will likely remain in the 30s over the next two weeks or so.
Very light snow is possible Friday into Saturday, but any accumulation will likely be less than an inch. Saturday and Sunday should be clear.
Forecasters are keeping an eye on a system the could come to the area Monday. In their forecast discussion Thursday afternoon, meteorologists with the local weather service office wrote that it looked increasingly likely “that widespread snowfall accumulations will impact the region Sunday night into Monday, with potential for significant amounts within a relatively narrow band roughly 30-50 miles wide.”
The exact track of the storm was still unknown, although current forecasts put that band between central Delaware and far southern New Jersey to the Philadelphia metro area. That supports models predicting more than 4 inches of snow in parts of Delaware, Maryland, southern New Jersey and south of Philadelphia, and less in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos.
Outside of snow this weekend, the weather service noted Thursday that recent snowmelt and rainfall has improved drought conditions in the area. Lehigh and Northampton counties have been under severe drought conditions for several weeks following an extremely dry October.
The U.S. Drought Monitor, which tracks and displays drought conditions throughout the country, showed a small part of northeastern Northampton County was now in “moderate drought.”
The remainder of Lehigh and Northampton counties still are under “severe drought” conditions. The state Department of Environmental Protection still has the counties listed under a drought watch.
Forecasters noted that it will still take some time to erase drought impacts. The Lehigh Valley had 42 inches of rain in 2024, which was 5.3 inches below normal, according to the weather service.
Outside of Friday and Monday, the next week should be clear. Here is the extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 31. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33.
Monday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 30.
Originally Published: January 2, 2025 at 3:23 PM EST
