Code Blue Declared This Weekend In Montco As Snow, Ice Threaten

By KARA SEYMOUR and JUSTIN HEINZE

Yes, you heard about the warmer-than-ever December. But you didn’t really think that was going to last?

And while Christmas may be the warmest on record, weather forecasters came up with a forecast for this weekend that was a little bit of a surprise.

Some snow and ice pellets are expected to fall overnight in parts of Pennsylvania, the first of the not-quite-winter season.

In Montgomery County, the incoming winter weather is serious enough that a “Cold Blue Weather Emergency” has been issued for the area.

The declaration is in effect from 10 p.m. on Friday through 10 a.m. on Sunday.

“A Code Blue Cold Weather Declaration is made in Montgomery County when winter conditions pose a threat of serious harm or death to individuals without shelter,” according to the Montgomery County Commissioners website. “A Code Blue is called when the combination of air temperature and wind chill is anticipated to be 20ºF or less.”

You may not be building a snowman just yet. But there could be enough snow in the Lehigh Valley to make things slippery.

The National Weather Service is also warning of the possibility of ice in the Philadelphia region, including Bucks, Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties.

Indeed, the coldest air of the month will build across the Northeast and will produce some snow into the weekend, according to AccuWeather.

This shot of chilly air will feel even colder for many as temperatures have been well above average for most days since the beginning of November, according to an AccuWeather release.

The jet stream will finally dip southward on Friday, opening the door for colder air to build in from Canada, according to AccuWeather.

“This will be a sharp contrast in air masses compared to the mild conditions over the last several days,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said in the release.

The jet stream is a zone of strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that tends to separate the cold air to the north and the warm air to the south, according to the weather service.

Those hoping to snowmobile or ski will have a day or two to enjoy the packed powder where the snow falls before a warmup will melt much if not all of the snow during next week, according to AccuWeather.

Here is the complete local forecast for Montgomery County, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind 10 to 14 mph.

Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 23. West wind 8 to 14 mph.

Sunday Sunny, with a high near 43. West wind around 6 mph.

Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.