A three-day snow emergency that was in place in Hellertown borough was lifted at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The snow emergency was put in effect in response to a winter storm that dumped about a foot of snow on the borough and other nearby communities.
In an email Tuesday afternoon, borough officials said public works crews would continue snow removal efforts from borough streets in the coming days. On Wednesday, the public works department will be removing snow piles from the east side of Main Street between Walnut and High streets, as well as along Saucon Street between Front and Northampton streets.
On Thursday, the focus of the borough’s snow removal efforts will be the entire length of High Street.
Above, a woman walks a dog in the 600 block of Main Street in Hellertown on Monday afternoon, while a snow emergency was still in effect. Although the snow emergency has been lifted, borough officials said they plan to continue snow removal efforts along Main Street on Wednesday.
“The Borough appreciates the continued hard work and dedication of the Public Works crew throughout this snow event and thanks the public for their continued cooperation and patience while we work diligently to complete these efforts,” the email said.
Althougth the forecast remains uncertain, there is a chance that another snowstorm will affect the region this weekend, according to meteorologists. If a storm forms and moves up the east coast, it could bring additional significant snow to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, where millions of residents are still digging out from the Jan. 25 storm.
The latest National Weather Service forecast for the Allentown area includes a 30 percent chance of snow Saturday night and a 40 percent chance Sunday. A cold weather advisory is in effect for Northampton, Lehigh and Upper Bucks counties through 10 a.m. Wednesday for temperatures around 0 and wind chills as low as 15 below zero.
Bitterly cold temperatures aren’t doing anything to melt the frozen precipitation that fell on Sunday. Huge snow piles have created parking issues in many urban neighborhoods, as well as challenges for pedestrians and drivers trying to get to work, school and other destinations. On Tuesday, a portion of Delaware Avenue in Fountain Hill borough was closed so public works crews could remove snow piles from along the sides of the busy thoroughfare. Traffic was detoured around the road closure onto narrow side streets, many of which are still snow-covered and challenging to navigate due to reduced visibility.