Lehigh Valley weather: Where to watch for snow squalls in Pa. as temperature plunges, wind whips up

The temperature will fall, the wind will pick up, and some areas could see a dusting of snow or even a snow squall overnight into Tuesday.

After overnight lows dip into the 20s in the Lehigh Valley, Tuesday’s highs are not expected to get above the mid-30s. Wind gusts up to 35 mph during the day Tuesday will make it feel even colder.

Good morning! Here is your forecast for the start of the new week. It will be mild today with some passing clouds, but...

Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Monday, November 27, 2023

There is at least a slight chance of snow showers through Tuesday in the southern Poconos and northwest New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service . An appearance further south may be possible, though EPAWA Weather Consulting meteorologist Bobby Martrich in his daily forecast video said flurries should not make it any further than I-78. Nothing here should amount to more than dusting.

But snow squalls could whip up with the chill wind. Such squalls, according to AccuWeather , are “the wintertime equivalent of summertime downpours and thunderstorms.” They are short-lived bursts of snow that can drop visibility to zero in a very short time, making them especially hazardous while driving.

“During a snow squall, road surfaces often transition from dry to wet to slushy and snow-covered in a matter of a few minutes, at which point the snow squall may already be departing the area,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in the State College-based forecaster’s outlook.

AccuWeather says northern and western Pennsylvania will be at risk of snow squalls on Tuesday, including much of I-80 through the state.AccuWeather

Locally, the National Weather Service says the air will likely be too dry for any squalls to make it further south than the Poconos, though the possibility can’t be completely ruled out. AccuWeather predicts the I-80 corridor will be at risk almost across the state, along with parts of I-81 and areas of north and western Pa., particularly closer to the Great Lakes.

More moderate temperatures are expected in the second half of the week, with the weekend bookended by chances for rain on Friday night and Sunday.

On average, the Lehigh Valley sees its first measurable snow of the season — at least a tenth of an inch — in early December, according to National Weather Service data. The first snow has happened as early as Oct. 18 and as late as Jan. 13.

Current weather radar