Rain arrives in the Poconos Wednesday night, and snow could follow by Thursday evening.
The National Weather Service point forecast for Mount Pocono calls for rain likely after 1 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, with a 70% chance of precipitation overnight. Thursday brings a 100% chance of rain, a high near 50 degrees and three-quarters to one inch of new precipitation.
A "strengthening coastal low" is driving the system, according to PhillyBurbs, citing the NWS State College office.
The storm's track matters most for what happens next.
As colder air wraps around the system Thursday night, rain could change to snow across higher elevations. The NWS Mount Holly forecast for Mount Pocono calls for rain before 4 a.m. Friday, then rain and snow likely, with a low around 32 degrees and northwest wind gusts up to 25 mph. That forecast expects little or no snow accumulation at Mount Pocono.
The NWS State College office paints a different picture for the broader region. That office's statewide forecast calls for a coating up to 3 inches across parts of northeastern Pennsylvania after rain changes to snow Thursday night, PhillyBurbs reported Nov. 11. NWS State College called the potential for the first accumulating snowfall, particularly at higher elevations, the "main game in town."
Paul Fitzsimmons, a meteorologist with the NWS Mount Holly office, said the system is "not looking like a big snowstorm, more in the way of rain with potentially some snow," according to The Times-Tribune.
A Weather Prediction Center map showed the Poconos with slightly higher snow probabilities than the rest of eastern Pennsylvania, where roughly a 10% chance of at least 1 inch of snow was forecast between Thursday and Saturday evening, according to The Times-Tribune.
AccuWeather identified the Poconos among the locations facing a risk of snow, PhillyBurbs reported. AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said "the mountainous terrain of the Poconos, Catskills and Berkshires will also face the risk of snow," according to USA Today.
Snow chances linger into Friday, Nov. 13. The Mount Pocono forecast calls for snow likely, possibly mixed with rain before 4 p.m., then a chance of snow Friday night. Wind gusts could reach 30 mph. Again, little or no accumulation is expected at that location.
Temperatures will drop well below normal after the storm passes. The NWS State College office said temperatures could fall 5 to 15 degrees below normal across Pennsylvania late in the week and into the weekend, according to PhillyBurbs' earlier forecast. The Mount Pocono forecast shows highs near 40 degrees Saturday, Nov. 14, and 42 degrees Sunday, Nov. 15.
