The winter’s first big storm brought snow last week; the second will bring heavy rain, strong wind and potential flooding Thursday into Friday in the Lehigh Valley, the National Weather Service said.
The rain could start at 6 a.m. Thursday and become heavy Thursday afternoon into the night, dumping 1-3 inches in the Lehigh Valley and up to 4 inches in the Poconos and higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service.
PPL is already preparing for possible outages.
Hi Everyone! The latest briefing package for the Christmas Eve into Christmas Day storm is available at…
Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Wednesday, December 23, 2020
The Dec. 15 storm dropped up to 11 inches of snow in parts of the Lehigh Valley. While much of it has already melted, temperatures reaching into the 50s Thursday could melt the remaining accumulation, which combined with the rain, could cause flooding in low-lying areas.
“The rain should end by Friday mid-afternoon, but it may be up to several hours before flooding occurs along rivers and streams,” said meteorologist Sarah Johnson at the National Weather Service station in Mount Holly, New Jersey. “There may be some snow on the back side of the rain, but not much.”
Isolated, potentially severe thunderstorms could accompany winds gusting up to 40 mph inland and 70 mph along the coast Thursday night.
PPL said it was bringing in resources from other parts of the country.
“We are expecting outages and preparing our crews to work in shifts around the clock,” the utility company said in a statement Wednesday. “Customers should be prepared for the possibility that they may not have power on Christmas Day.”
Residents are advised to prepare for power outages by charging electronic devices in advance and having emergency kits with food, water, medication and pet supplies if needed. Residents should avoid downed power lines and not use portable generators in enclosed spaces to avoid carbon monoxide fumes.
Residents can find storm safety and power outage update information or report outages at pplelectric.com/outage. Residents can also text “Outage” to 8987775 or call 1-800-342-5775 to report outages.
PennDOT advised motorists to avoid unnecessary travel, and said it would impose some restrictions on highways in the western part of the state.Information on restrictions and road conditions is available at 511pa.com.
Christmas Day’s forecast calls for a high temperature near 47 and a low around 19, followed by sunshine with highs in the 30s Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be around 25 Saturday night and 17 Sunday night.
Monday will see a 30% chance of rain with a high near 42 and a 30% chance of snow with a low around 28 at night.
Morning Call reporter Andrew Scott can be reached at 610-820-6508 or ascott@mcall.com.
