Not much has changed in terms of an expected big snowstorm this weekend. "It's going to move in sometime around midnight and it lasts through Sunday and into Sunday night before it moves away by early Monday. It looks like 95, if not 100, percent snow across the area," says Accu-Weather's Joe Lundberg. He says six-to-ten inches of snow is likely, but he wouldn't be at all surprised if those numbers go higher, particularly in the Poconos. A Winter Storm Watch takes effect 1 o'clock Sunday morning and continues through 1 o'clock Monday afternoon.
The City of Allentown has already announced it's going into snow emergency mode at 11 o'clock Saturday morning. "When want to make sure that we are giving all our folks ample time to set the stage for a successful cleanup operation," says Mayor Matt Tuerk. He says that means if your car is parked in one of the city's 30 snow emergency routes as of 11 o'clock Saturday morning, it will be towed. The city is opening its government deck at 435 W. Hamilton St. starting at midnight on Friday. The remainder of the city's parking decks will open for free parking on Saturday night at 8.
Shoveling this weekend's snow could give you more than a sore back. Geisinger Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Brendan Carry gives the scientific reasons whey some people suffer heart attacks while clearing snow. "When you go outside into the cold your arteries actually will constrict and so that increases your blood pressure. So, when your blood pressure increases, it makes it more difficult for your heart to pump blood against that and that increases the work load naturally to your heart," the doctor says. Carry says even those who are in good cardiovascular shape aren't immune to the dangers of snow removal. He recommends you warm up a little bit before you go outside by doing some light activity to get your blood flowing, dress very warmly, and if you start to feel yourself tire, take a break.
Most local communities have already announced snow emergencies ahead of the expected snowstorm this weekend. There are also local churches that have already cancelled services on Sunday. Some of them are holding worship services on Saturday instead. The complete list of snow emergency designations and altered worship schedules is available by entering the keyword 'snowflake.'
A Lehigh County police department has a murder investigation on their hands. A Thursday night shooting has left one person dead in Allentown. We're told the incident happened around 9 o'clock last night on Carrot Street. The Lehigh County Coroner's Office is saying the victim is a 19-year-old man. He has ruled the manner of death a homicide. There's no word yet on any arrests and the victim's name has not yet been released. The Allentown Police Department is still investigating.
American Airlines is adding new direct flights from Lehigh Valley International Airport to Chicago starting this spring. Nonstop flights from the Lehigh Valley to Chicago O’Hare Airport will be offered twice daily beginning May 21. Departures to Chicago will be at 6 a.m. and 5:18 p.m., and arrivals to the Lehigh Valley from Chicago will be at 4:48 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Currently, United Airlines also offer direct flights from LVIA to the Windy City.
The longtime music director and conductor of The Allentown Symphony Orchestra is planning to step down after more than three decades at the helm. The Allentown Symphony Association has announced Diane Wittry will conclude her extraordinary 33-year tenure leading the orchestra when she conducts her final concert in the fall of 2027. Wittry will continue to serve as music director through May 2028, working closely with the board of directors and staff to ensure a smooth and successful artistic leadership transition.Her tenure will be the longest in the orchestra’s history, surpassing that of Donald Voorhees, who served for 32 years from its founding in 1951 to 1983. The ASA Board of Directors says it has begun forming a committee to lead a national search for the orchestra’s next music director and conductor.
Violent crime numbers are on the decline in Pennsylvania. The Commission on Crime and Delinquency says violent crime is down 21-percent statewide since the start of the decade. They noted homicides and gun violence are down significantly in 19 counties that received funding from the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution grant program. Those counties include Lehigh and Northampton.
Things are getting back to normal at Villanova University after a threat of violence closed the campus Thursday. Law enforcement officials were on campus yesterday morning but didn't find anything concerning. Some buildings were later opened before officials gave an all-clear in the afternoon. No other details have been provided in this case.
A New Jersey shore community is looking to use marijuana sales to pay for beach replenishment projects. Officials in Upper Township in Cape May County are expected to vote on putting a cannabis dispensary along a busy section near the beach next month. Officials say they would use one-third of the tax revenue for beaches. Some have quality-of-life concerns. Several beach replenishment projects planned for the Jersey Shore this year are in jeopardy because of uncertainty over federal funds.