BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Don’t look now, but the storm forecast to dump 2 to 3 inches of rain today is now bringing another concern: snow.
After a warm but wet Sunday into Sunday night, colder air is forecast to take over the region and could produce a period of accumulating snow, according to the National Weather Service.
A dusting is possible along the Interstate 78 corridor and greater amounts in the Poconos, affecting the Monday morning commute, according to the latest weather service discussion.
The timing would be on the back side of the departing storm system, the weather service says. That would be Monday morning for areas northwest of Interstate 95 – primarily the Lehigh Valley, the Poconos and northwest New Jersey.
Daybreak to perhaps a few hours after daybreak provides the greatest chance of a transition to snow, the forecast says. The chance for accumulating snow is greatest in higher elevations, with a winter weather advisory now in place from midnight to noon Monday in the Poconos.
A flood watch remains in place from 1 p.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Monday in the Lehigh Valley and much of eastern Pennsylvania.
A cold front will move through the region overnight, and temperatures will drop low enough to support 2 to 3 inches of snow in the Poconos, with potential amounts near 5 inches at the highest elevations, the weather service said.
Along the I-78 corridor in the Lehigh Valley and Berks County, significant travel problems are unlikely aside from a few slippery spots, according to the forecast.
Monday will be cold and blustery with temperatures struggling to reach the 40s. Winds of 15 to 25 mph will remain through the morning and into early afternoon, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph possible.
Light snow showers may linger in the southern Poconos, according to the weather service.
It will start to clear by later in the day and several days of uneventful weather are set to follow.
