Temperatures in the Lehigh Valley are soon expected to hit 70 degrees for the first time in months.
But before breaking out the short-sleave shirts, there’s still the matter of getting through yet another foggy and rainy day. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey says that the region will see a cooler Saturday with temperatures in the mid 40s to low 50s.
Things will change Saturday night with warmer air moving in from the southwest. It will bring along some heavy rain and a possible thunderstorm. Rainfall amounts are expected to be between a tenth- and quarter-of-an-inch, with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
While the clouds will remain Sunday, temperatures will be noticeably warmer with a high of 65.
“This increase in temperatures overnight is helped by the warm front moving northward through the area,” the NWS said in its area forecast discussion. “A cold front follows this warm front tonight into tomorrow morning. Ahead of this cold front is a line of showers and potentially embedded thunderstorms that will weaken as they pass through our area from west to east late this evening into tomorrow morning.”
Monday is the day everyone has been waiting for as the sun returns with a high near 68 and a light wind from the southwest.
The last time the temperature was above 60 was Nov. 10, according to the weather service. It’s the second-longest stretch of time without a 60-degree day since the turn of the century.
The longest stretch during that time frame was between November 2002 and March 2003, at 120 days, according to the weather service. The current stretch will likely end a few days short of that.
The sunshine will return Tuesday, with a high of 74 expected.
Seasonal temperatures and rain are expected to return by the end of the week.
Here is the extended forecast from the National Weather Service:
Sunday: Slight chance of showers, mostly cloudy with a high of 65.
Sunday night: Mostly clear, low around 39.
Monday: Sunny, high near 68. Some wind gusts, as high as 25 mph.
Monday night: Most clear, low around 46.
Tuesday: Sunny, high near 74.
Tuesday night: A chance of showers after 1 a.m., low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday: Showers likely, cloudy with a high of 74. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Wednesday night: Showers likely, low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday: A chance of showers, mostly cloudy with a high near 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, low around 29.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, high near 47.