Weather pattern in Lehigh Valley leaves the snow boots stashed away
Winter weather, in its finicky nature, rarely lends itself to accurate long-term forecasting. That’s because the challenges and complexities of predicting snowstorms means observing how weather systems are evolving and tracking, then determining what role temperature will play before they arrive.
Based on December’s current pattern, it’s hard not to imagine a scenario where a story written in March of next year begins something like this: This was not the wettest or warmest winter in Lehigh Valley history, meteorologists say, but snow boots once again remained stashed in the closet.
This week, temperatures in the 20s and wind chills in the teens will be pushed out by building warmth, forecasters say. A storm system is likely to eject from the northern Plains and push east, setting up another soggy weekend in the Lehigh Valley.
Temperatures so far in December have been above normal for the beginning of the month. Allentown ended the weekend with temperatures averaging 2 degrees above normal, and a tale of two seasons setting up the week.
The National Weather Service says temperatures will remain 5-10 degrees below normal through Wednesday with highs mostly in the 30s and lower 40s, and lows in the 20s.
The weather pattern will flip near the end of the week, with a change in the jet stream bringing above average temperatures to the mid-Atlantic region.
Highs in the mid-50s will return by Saturday, but meteorologists say there’s another storm inbound likely to bring rain through the area by the middle to latter part of the weekend.
Empire Weather, which provides local forecasts for The Morning Call, says this upcoming system is not likely to be a washout. However, it could put a damper on outdoor shopping with just a few weeks left until Christmas.
The long-range outlook from the Climate Prediction Center still advertises a warm winter and a lack of snow for the region, with consistency among the models that could set the tone for the entire season.