MORE SNOW TONIGHT

The snowstorm bearing down on the Lehigh Valley region after creating havoc in the midwest this weekend should arrive in a weakened condition, leaving 2-3 inches of snow, according to meteorologists at the National Weather Service and AccuWeather.

The National Weather Service in Mt. Holly, N.J., downgraded the winter storm watch issued yesterday afternoon to a winter weather advisory for snow, which will arrive a little later and with less impact than initially expected.

Issued at 3:40 a.m., the advisory is in effect from 7 tonight until 7 tomorrow night, but National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick O'Hara says the storm won't linger. He says to expect steady, light snow for eight hours or less, starting sometime after 5 p.m.

The snow is being produced from two systems in the Ohio Valley and Virginia, with the latter taking over as it hustles northward to whiten the northeast.

In the Lehigh Valley, AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines says this snow should be "enough to slick up the roads, but not enough to paralyze a region or anything like that."

Compared to the two winter storms in Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley last week, this one seems poised to be more of a nuisance than a hindrance.

The system gains momentum as it heads north, which means the precipitation south of the Lehigh Valley will arrive earlier and in lesser amounts.

Philadelphia, which is not under a winter weather advisory, is on the fringe of the storm. Instead of snow, it will likely be a wintry, slushy mix or plain rain, according to O'Hara.

Chester, Montgomery and Bucks County will likely receive about two inches, O'Hara said. To the north in Carbon and Monroe counties and the New Jersey counties of Sussex, Warren and Morris, 4-7 inches of snow are expected. The storm will continue to worsen as it heads north toward Massachusetts and Maine, where more than a half foot of snow is expected.

Eastern Pennsylvania and northern and central New Jersey should see the first snow late this afternoon or early tonight. The snow will continue overnight, gradually ending Tuesday.

After the storm moves out Tuesday, expect temperatures to fall and winds to increase. Then a precipitation-free pattern emerges with day-time temperatures in the mid to upper 30s and night-time temps in the low 20s.

Source: Morning Call