Major Blizzard Possible Next Week — Or Not

Winter Storm December 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Meteorologists are watching a low pressure system with the potential to bring a major winter storm with blizzard conditions next week to the mid-Atlantic, including the Lehigh Valley.

But don’t go altering travel plans just yet, because it also could just blow out to sea.

AccuWeather, a private forecasting company in State College, says there are indications the jet stream next week could form into an upward loop, similar to a an upside “U” or the Greek letter omega, and drop an “atmospheric bomb” on the mid-Atlantic.

AccuWeather.com’s expert senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski says the system could bring “a foot or more of wind swept snow, travel mayhem, power outages and the whole nine yards with a storm hugging the coast.  Or, he says, it could just turn into “another non-event with the storm heading out to sea.”

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-allentown-lehigh-valley-major-blizzard-next-wee-20130228,0,5578245.story

First Snowfall Of Season In Forecast

Berks County could get a taste of snow this week.

Forecasters are expecting a slushy accumulation Tuesday. The snow, expected to amount to 1 to 2 inches, should start between midnight and 4 a.m. and end during the afternoon, said Mike Pigott of AccuWeather near State College.

But it’s not likely to stick around.

“A lot of it will actually melt on the roadways, but there could be a slushy coating,” Pigott said.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=431275

A Stink Bug Solution Coming From The United States Department Of Agriculture!

Image via Wikipedia

Finally, a stink bug solution!!!!  The USDA has come up with a way to get rid of 80 percent of the stink bug population plaguing 33 states (the Mid-Atlantic States are ground zero).  A tiny wasp from Asia will be used to wipe out most of the stink bug population.  The wasp lays eggs in the skink bug and the babies eat their way out (yuck) killing the stink bug.  I am sure PETA will freak out over it but I say hip-hip hurrah!  They hope to release the wasps in 2013.  If the stink bugs are left unchecked they will decimate our food supply.  They are already impacting it!

 Read the entire article from the Baltimore Sun:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-ae-stink-bug-defense-20110221,0,3958702,full.story

Early And Cold Winter Predicted For East Coast

Forecasters are predicting an early and cold winter for our neck of the woods, however, another “snowmageddon” or “snowpocalypse” can be ruled out (Thanks be to God).

Temperatures will be normal or below normal for November and December.  Most of our snow will be early in the season.  A January warm-up is also expected. 

La Nina winters are dry but COLD!  Philly is predicted to have an average amount of snowfall.  We appear to be on the border of normal to above normal for temps.