Monday’s high temperature is expected to be about 52 degrees. Let that thought warm you Sunday night as the rain freezes on the steps and sidewalks in portions of the Lehigh Valley.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the region, including Lehigh and Northampton counties, starting at 6 p.m. Sunday for a “light glaze” of freezing rain — enough to make sidewalks, roads and bridges dangerously slippery. The advisory will be in effect until 2 a.m.
While the advisory covers the region, temperatures in the southernmost portion of the Lehigh Valley should stay above freezing, the weather service forecast shows. To the north, in Carbon and Monroe counties, ice accumulations of one to two tenths of an inch are possible, according to the weather service.
It’s unhappy news as the region comes off the Friday-Saturday storm that dumped sleet, snow and ice and made post-Christmas travel treacherous.
Leftover ice will likely vanish Monday as the temperatures make their climb toward spring warmth and a rainy, windy front sweeps through.
Don’t get used to the warmth. The front is dragging deep cold in its wake. Tuesday’s high temperature is predicted to be 29 degrees and it is sure to feel colder in 20 mph winds that could gust to 45.
Here’s the full forecast, which includes a chance of some snow on New Year’s Day.
Monday: Showers, mainly between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. High near 52. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Monday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Breezy, with a west wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph.
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35.
Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Thursday (New Year’s Day): A chance of snow after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 28.
Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.
How much snow and ice did the Lehigh Valley get? Totals from around the region