Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By: Monsoon Mike

Sunday will be a less than desirable day especially until mid-afternoon across Schuylkill County as freezing rain causes havoc on local roads. I expect the rain (which should remain light for the most part) to begin around 6 a.m. and continue through Sunday night.  By Sunday night, everything should be plain rain, but before then, temperatures will be below freezing and roads will be less than desirable. This all will be followed by crashing temperatures on Monday as temperatures go from the 30's all the way back down below zero by Monsay night.  In between, as the actual cold front passes, the precipitation could end as a burst of snow Monday morning. The active winter continues, folks!

Freezing Rain Advisory Issued For Schuylkill County

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS EVENING...

* LOCATIONS...LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER VALLEY AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.

* HAZARD TYPES...AREAS OF FREEZING RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS....LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH.

* TIMING...LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* IMPACTS...ICY AND TREACHEROUS CONDITIONS ON UNTREATED SURFACES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION...GO TO WEATHER.GOV/CTP OR STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.

REPORT ICE ACCUMULATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO CTP.STORMREPORTS@NOAA.GOV...POSTING TO THE NWS STATE COLLEGE FACEBOOK PAGE...OR TWEET @NWSSTATECOLLEGE WITH THE HASHTAG #CTPWX.

Frigid Temperatures From Overnight in Schuylkill County

Our readers reported in some of the frigid temperatures from overnight.  This is what we gathered: 

Ashland 0

Auburn -2.6

Cressida -4

Fountain Springs -3

Lavelle -5

Locust Dale -1

Orwigsburg 1

Pottsville -1

Schuylkill Haven -4

West Penn -1

Picture below is from Lake Hauto

Schuylkill County Weather Forecast

By:  Monsoon Mike

Now that our storm is but a distant memory, our attention turns to some of the coldest air this area has seen in a number of years. Lows are already in the negative digits and by morning we might have temperatures around minus 7 or minus 8 across Skook. Surprisingly, however, temperatures warm all the way to the 20's by later in the day and on Sunday maybe even into the 30's as some rain falls, not snow.

One concern, however, is if cold air gets trapped at the surface and some of that rain starts as freezing rain or snow on Sunday and ends as touch of snow on Monday. I'll know more tomorrow if that's going to happen but the majority of this coming storm looks to be liquid rather than white.

That will be followed by another intense push of arctic air that might even make what we're going through tonight feel warm! Stay tuned!

Snowfall Totals and Images From Around Schuylkill County

The storm is over and we want to thank everyone who shared their snow totals and images with us.

Below are the totals that we've received from all of you

PennDOT Lowers Speed Limits on Interstates

Due to road conditions from the snow, PENNDOT has lowered the speeds on Interstate 81 through Schuylkill County to 45 mph until further notice.

Ashland Doctor Facing Drug Charges

WNEP posted a story Thursday on Dr. Stephanie Tarapchak, who practiced in Ashland, is now facing drug charges.

She is accused from writing prescriptions to pain killers that have led to overdoses and one death.

Tarapchak is also facing charges for smuggling drugs into the Lackawanna County Prison by hiding them inside her rectum.

Tarapchak is to be prosecuted in Lackawanna County court, where she is also locked up at this time.

Tarapchak was charged with corrupt organizations, drug delivery resulting in death, prescribing outside the scope of practice, distribution/prescription to a drug dependent person, refusal or failure to keep records, controlled substance contraband to a confined person, perjury, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, insurance fraud, theft by deception and criminal conspiracy.

Link to full story below
http://wnep.com/2014/01/02/ashland-doctor-facing-drug-charges/

http://republicanherald.com/news/ag-schulkill-county-doctor-smuggled-drugs-into-lackawanna-county-prison-unlawfully-prescribed-pain-pills-1.1610951