Snow in December has been hard to come by in recent years, and while it won’t be a significant event, any snow in December is a welcome surprise for most people. What is not so desirable is ice – and freezing rain is now expected over a larger area on Sunday.

In recent days, the American weather models have not been at all enthusiastic about Sunday’s wintry mix, but in classic fashion, they switched to foreign models such as Euro and Canadian at the last second. Our snowfall forecast from yesterday remains largely unchanged.

The National Weather Service has issued winter weather warnings for much of the state, in part due to the possibility of freezing rain. Below is the NWS warning map.

Winter weather timing

By midday there will be precipitation, starting as freezing rain in northwestern Pennsylvania and the Laurel Highlands, with temperatures just below freezing. Initially, snow is expected east of the Allegheny Front in central PA, with snowfall rates up to 1″/hour, but mostly closer to 0.5″/hour. Below is the high resolution NAM for Sunday 1:00 p.m.

Snow will move northeast late Sunday afternoon. This model would like to temporarily end snowfall in South Central PA at this time, but we do not believe there will be a lull.

Below you can see that there is freezing rain on the Allegheny Plateau throughout the afternoon, making the ride very slippery. Here is the high resolution NAM for Sunday, 4:00 p.m.

Light to moderate snowfall is expected to continue north of I-78 in eastern PA and I-76 in central PA through dinner. Freezing rain will be confined to the Allegheny Front on the eastern edge of the Laurel Highlands at this time, making for very rough travel between Blair and Cambria County. Below you will find the high-resolution NAM for Sunday, 7:00 p.m.

And snow will fall in the northeastern part of the state late Sunday evening. The Poconos will be particularly treacherous at this time. Here is the high-resolution NAM for Sunday, 11 p.m.

Northeastern Pennsylvania will continue to see snow until Monday morning between 3 and 5 a.m. before it stops.

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LAST CALL SNOWFALL FORECAST FOR SUNDAY – MONDAY MORNING

The shaded area outside of Area D represents where a thin layer of ice is possible Sunday afternoon.

Area A: Snowfall accumulation of 2 – 4″ expected. Roads will be covered in snow within a few hours of the start time, making for a treacherous drive for several hours.

Area B: Snowfall accumulation of 1 – 2″ expected. Untreated surfaces will become muddy some time after the start time, which can lead to dangerous driving conditions on Sunday afternoon.

Area C: Snowfall accumulation of less than 1 inch expected. Snowfall will bring a brief period of slippery weather and the rain/snow line will likely remain in this region for a few hours before moving further north.

Area D: Up to a quarter of an inch of ice accumulation is expected, resulting in very slippery walking and driving conditions. Sporadic power outages are possible.

Area E: Light rain and temperatures above freezing are expected from start to finish.

Be sure to share this article with friends and family in affected areas!