Community Corner

Rare October Snowfall Predicted for Area

The snow in Saturday's forecast could be a new October record for the Lehigh Valley. A winter storm warning is now in effect for both Lehigh and Northampton counties.

An updated forecast from the National Weather Service says the Lehigh Valley could be in for its first significant snowfall of the season on Saturday.

If the weather service forecast totals--between six and 10 inches--come to fruition, a new October record for snowfall in the Lehigh Valley will be set. The current record for the month was set on Halloween 1925, when 2.2 inches of snow fell.

Saturday's snow could also be only the sixth recorded October snowfall in the Lehigh Valley since 1922, which was the first year for which the weather service has recorded local data.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And it would be the earliest snowfall in the Valley since 1979, when an inch of snow fell on October 10.

The winter storm watch that was in effect as of early Friday has been upgraded by the weather service to a winter storm warning is in effect for Lehigh and Northampton counties beginning early Saturday morning.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The weather service warns that trees, which still have leaves on them, could become loaded with heavy, wet snow. Power outages could be the result if the trees' limbs break off.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to activate its district command center at 7 a.m. Saturday with a full call-out of road crews at that time, or sooner if the storm arrives early, said Ron Young, a regional PennDOT spokesman.

In a news release issued Thursday, PennDOT reported that it has a stockpile of 642,000 tons of salt and plans to take delivery of more this winter. PennDOT used about 1 million tons of salt last winter.

Patch invites you to send us your snow pictures. E-mail them to susan.koomar@patch.com and you may see them on the website.


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