The Wyoming Valley could see some severe weather this weekend, but some uncertainty remains in the forecast.
The National Weather Service’s storm prediction center has placed the entire forecast area under a slight risk of severe weather Saturday and into Saturday night, according to a hazardous weather outlook.
The risk for severe weather will be caused by unstable conditions, along with an approaching cold front that will create favorable conditions for severe storms.
The best chance for severe weather will be during the afternoon and evening hours on Saturday before the cold front moves into the area. Storms will have the potential of producing damaging winds and large hail, and some may have the potential of producing tornadoes.
The outlook indicates there is still uncertainty regarding the timing and most-likely location of the severe weather.
No watches or warnings have been issued for Luzerne or Lackawanna counties.
The weekend’s forecast
The National Weather Service indicated it was 53 degrees as of 6:54 a.m. at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, with fair skies reported.
Sunny skies are expected to round out the week today, with a high near 74. Mostly clear skies will follow into tonight, with a low around 49.
Mostly cloudy skies are predicted for Saturday, along with a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. Those showers and thunderstorms are expected to become likely after 5 p.m. Some storms could be severe and produce large hail and damaging winds. Up to a quarter of an inch of rainfall is possible, but more could fall in any potential thunderstorms. The high will be near 78.
Showers will be likely before 8 p.m. on Saturday night, and thunderstorms will also be possible. A chance of showers and thunderstorms will stick around into the overnight hours. Some storms could be severe, and up to a quarter of an inch of rain is possible. The low will be around 63.
Mostly sunny skies will round out the weekend on Sunday, and winds could gust as high as 31 mph. The high will be near 76.
Partly cloudy skies will carry over into Sunday night, with a low near 52.
Be sure to check out the Times Leader’s weather page for up-to-date forecast information and radar!
