Lehigh Valley now under winter storm warning as heavy snow looms

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The National Weather Service has upgraded the Lehigh Valley from a winter storm watch to a winter storm warning as confidence grows in a significant snowfall event early Sunday into Monday.

Forecasters now expect widespread snow totals of 12 to 18 inches across much of the region, with locally higher amounts possible, along with ice accumulations of a light glaze.

The warning is in effect from 1 a.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Monday.

Snow is expected to begin very early Sunday, intensify and continue into Monday morning, creating hazardous travel conditions and the potential for power outages.

The warning replaces the earlier watch, signaling that severe winter weather now is considered imminent.

Officials are urging residents to complete storm preparations and avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.

Municipalities across the Lehigh Valley are preparing snow removal operations, and additional advisories or emergency declarations may be announced ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Snow emergencies

Allentown was among the first to declare a snow emergency, announcing Thursday that enforcement efforts would begin Saturday morning.

The enforcement period will give police time to ensure snow emergency routes are clear before snow starts falling, officials said.

Under city ordinance, about 30 streets are designated as snow emergency routes, and vehicles parked on those streets must be moved once the emergency takes effect.

Cars left on those routes are subject to ticketing and towing, officials said.

Bethlehem and many other municipalities also have declared snow emergencies ahead of the storm. Bethlehem's emergency begins at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Cold snap to follow

Beyond the snow, Arctic air will remain in place into late next week, forecasters say.

Temperatures likely will remain below freezing across much of the area through Thursday, with most locations struggling to make it out of the low 20s.

In addition, breezy conditions Monday and Tuesday will lead to dangerously cold wind chills, the weather service said.

Monday and Tuesday night, wind chills are likely to be below zero areawide, and below -10 across much of eastern Pennsylvania.

While Wednesday and Thursday also look to feature similar temperatures, wind chills should improve as winds begin to subside.

Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio announced Friday that a 93-year-old Lower Macungie Township woman died outside her home of hypothermia. She is Lehigh County's first weather-related fatality of 2026.