BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley is set to experience a prolonged period of wet and unsettled weather over the next two days, driven by what some are calling a late-season nor’easter impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.
“I would say 90% of our area is not going to feel the effects of a nor’easter,” EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said in his Wednesday video update.
“There will eventually be one,” Martrich said, describing a classic Miller-B setup that is typically a signature of winter storms.
“It’s a secondary low taking over [from the primary system] and it’s going to head up in this direction,” he said, drawing an arrow up through the New England area.
That will limit nor’easter effects to places such as Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, he said.
And for the Lehigh Valley?
“We’re not getting nor’easter effects," Martrich said. "We’re not getting sustained winds that are 30 to 35 mph that you would expect in a nor’easter."
But we are expecting rain and windy weather to continue over the next few days, which should clear out in time for Memorial Day weekend.
The system also will generate cooler temperatures across the Northern Plains, Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for the next several days, the weather service said.
High temperatures in the 40s, 50s and low 60s will represent temperature anomalies 20-35 degrees below average, forecasters said.
More rain in a tremendously soggy May
The Lehigh Valley has seen its share of soggy springs, with several Mays bringing record-setting rainfall.
Historically, it’s a month of transition for the region — spring is in full swing, and summer storms begin to make their presence known.
More than 7 inches of rainfall have all but erased drought across the region this month, and there’s more on the way.
The National Weather Service said total rainfall amounts are forecast to be 1 to 1.5 inches across the region through the day Thursday — potentially pushing total rainfall amounts in the Lehigh Valley this month to 9 inches or more.
Hopefully you enjoyed the last few days of fairly nice weather. A nor'easter will affect the region over the next couple of days, with 1-2 inches of rain, chilly temperatures and gusty winds. pic.twitter.com/OYNwqeqT2n
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) May 20, 2025
Front half of month was record-setting
According to the Northeast Regional Climate Center, May 1-15 precipitation ranged from 56% of normal in Huntington, West Virginia, to 400% of normal in Allentown (do not adjust your reading glasses, that’s not a typo).
The Allentown area recorded 6.84 inches of rain in that timeframe, well above the 1.71 inches considered normal.
Overall, 31 of the region’s 35 major climate sites were wetter than normal, with 22 of them experiencing one of their 20 wettest May 1-15 periods.
Allentown took the top spot, experiencing its wettest May 1-15 ever.
For additional context, the average rainfall for May is around 4.3 inches. In each of its wettest years, the Lehigh Valley received almost double —or more — its usual May precipitation.
Those heavy rains often impact agriculture, delay construction projects, and increase the risk of flooding, especially along the Lehigh River and nearby creeks.
