Summer lovers, rejoice! A return to heat commences — just as Musikfest begins
Musikfest has finally returned to Bethlehem, with a preview night Thursday bringing Darius Rucker to the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza.
With the return of the festival, officially running from Aug. 6 to 15, also comes the return of summer heat. The 14 venues of top musical performers and family-friendly activities should be sun-drenched more often than not, meteorologists say.
With the return of the sun, however, comes the return of the heat. The Lehigh Valley will see afternoon temperatures back to near-normal levels, with highs expected to reach the mid 80s Thursday before pushing near 90 degrees on Friday.
The heat will be on from there as winds from the north/northwest begin to shift, allowing a southwesterly flow to overtake the region.
The National Weather Service says highs will remain in the mid to upper 80s over the weekend, but a full return to summer-like heat and afternoon thunderstorms commences into next week.
Here’s the breakdown:
Monday: Highs look a touch cooler than previously forecast, the NWS says. There should be patchy fog in the morning, with mostly sunny skies in the afternoon and a high near 90.
Tuesday through Thursday:
These look to be the warmest days of the week, with highs in the lower 90s. With dew points climbing back into the low 70s (from the urban corridor up into the Lehigh Valley), heat advisories may be needed in parts of the region.
Afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be possible each day, but coverage doesn’t look too widespread for now.
Friday: A cold front looks to push across the Great Lakes towards our region, but the timing may leave afternoon highs in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees.
The months of August sees a rapid decline in daylight, limiting the amount of heating just enough that thunderstorm activity can be a little less robust. The good news for Musikfest, which has battled weather issues more often than not, is that this year seems like the weather could stay on the sunny side.
At this time last year, Tropical Storm Isaias devastated the Lehigh Valley, washing out the flood-prone Colonial Industrial Quarter in Bethlehem.
At the height of the storm, the Monocacy Creek breached its banks, sending flood water more than 4 feet deep across the historic quarter. But 2020 wasn’t a typical year, and Musikfest was mostly virtual. There were no vendors fighting the floods, and hopefully the artisans set up in the Martin Guitar Handwerkplatz this year will be safe from any possible severe weather.
As you get your ’fest on in Bethlehem, the sun will set Thursday night around 8:12 p.m. But by the end of the festival, the sun will set at 7:59 p.m., a loss of daylight accelerating rapidly.
Musikfest will close with a traditional fireworks display on Aug. 15 at 10 p.m.