Good evening everyone! Below is the FINAL Prediction for Wednesday, January 24, 2024.
Mixed icy precipitation entered the area this morning. As anticipated, most schools that delayed this morning ended up closing. For Monroe County specifically, Pocono Mountain remained virtual, while the other districts went in on time. After school activities were partially impacted, depending on the school, but no overall district decision was made to cancel activities from what I have gathered from community observations (thanks everyone!).
The current forecast is to have the current lull we are in continue for the next several hours, then spotty freezing rain showers are possible overnight into Wedndesday morning. Temperatures are hovering around freezing for the county; areas that are elevated are below freezing, while areas lower in elevation are above freezing, generally speaking. I do not anticipate temperatures to fluctuate too much from now until tomorrow morning. The National Weather Service is anticipating 0.1 inches of new ice from now until 1 PM tomorrow, but this will be concentrated in areas above 1,200 feet. Areas below 1,200 are likely to receive little to no freezing rain accumulations.
Considering all of this, and observing how schools reacted this morning both in Monroe County and regionally, my current thinking is as follows. Stroudsburg and Pleasant Valley, being the furtherest south away from the core of the precipitation and lower in elevation, are the most likely to go in on time tomorrow. Pocono Mountain, being higher in elevation and likely to receive the most freezing rain, may be forced to delay or close tomorrow. It was raised to my attention (and correct me if I am mistaken) Pocono Mountain has used its five virtual days for the school year, meaning going virtual is no longer an option for them and they would have to traditionally close. East Stroudsburg, continuing the theme of “splitting the difference,” I think will either delay tomorrow, with perhaps a secondary outcome of a regular day. Therefore, I am favoring regular days for most of the county, but there is still a material chance for delays and closings, depending on elevation.
Keep your eyes out for alerts tonight into tomorrow. Have a great evening everyone, drive safely, and thank you for the support!
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