BETHLEHEM, Pa. — It’s been an exceptionally soggy December, and soon it might be one for the record books.
Periods of rain are expected to develop Wednesday and early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, potentially resuming minor flooding of streams and creeks washed out earlier this month.
It’ll take a lot of water — in fact, a bit more than they’re calling for. But with 6.12 inches of rain so far, along with a forecast projecting 1 to 1.5 inches of rain possible this week, the Lehigh Valley will move closer to its wettest December ever.
The area's grand total of 7.89 inches of precipitation in December 1973 currently stands as the high water mark for the month.
That year, days of rain, sleet and snow pounded the area in the leadup to Christmas. Not only did streams and creeks swell rapidly in the Lehigh Valley, but the New York Times described the storm as “five days of ice and rain, and unpleasantness” through the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The culprit this week
EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said a strong upper level low in the central part of the county will “induce a warm southerly flow” into our area.
“That’s going to get a lot of moisture transport coming into our region, which means we’re going to have some rain coming into forecast,” Martrich said in his latest video update.
EPAWA's 12/26 and week ahead outlook, covering:
— Bobby Martrich | EPAWA (@epawawx) December 26, 2023
■ Clouds continue to dominate through late week
■ Showers and periods of rain timing for midweek
■ Early look at the New Year's holiday weekendhttps://t.co/9QQ8BYk1WB
Tuesday is expected to be gloomy, but unseasonably mild. It’s the 24-to-36 hours after that are expected to be warm and wet.
By Wednesday morning, the area can expect steady periods of rain that Martrich said will continue throughout the day.
“This could be a decent amount, a moderate amount of rain,” he said. “But it’s not nearly going to rise to the levels of what we’ve had with that coastal storm (last weekend) and the one a week before that.”
He predicted the total rainfall could be “on either side of an inch” — in line with the weather service, but leaving the area a bit short of that aforementioned December precipitation record.
Clouds dominate
Martrich also had bad news for folks looking for some sun at the tail end of 2023.
“There’s a lot of clouds dominating the forecast for the remainder of the week, and you’re not going to see much – if any – sunshine at all through Friday,” he said.
“Once you get to the weekend, that’s the good news. Things get a little bit better.”
Temperatures for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are expected to be closer to seasonal averages, with highs in the lower 40s and overnight lows in the 30s and upper 20s.
