The derailment happened in the area of Riverside Drive, across the river from Nagy’s Landing in Bethlehem Township, around 7:15 a.m. A total of three trains were involved in the incident, though only one derailed, officials said at an 11 a.m. news conference.

Photos from the scene showed the front edge of at least two engines sticking into the water, with multiple other cars off the track.

Norfolk Southern is investigating as is the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The cause of the derailment is unknown, officials said at the news conference. Officials added they did not know how fast the trains were moving or exactly how many train cars were involved.

An unknown quantity of diesel fuel and a small quantity of polypropylene pellets spilled into the Lehigh River as a result of the derailment, officials said.

There were no hazardous materials involved, according to Lower Saucon Township Police Chief Thomas Barndt. Containment booms were deployed, he said.

No one was injured in the derailment, Barndt said. Train crews needed some assistance getting up the river bank and were given ropes to help them.

At the news conference, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said there was no danger to the public.

Earlier, in a post on the county’s Facebook page around 8:30 a.m., he said, “There are currently no evacuations, no injuries, and no leaks from any containers.”

McClure said Northampton County Emergency Management and the Lehigh County hazmat team were at the scene providing support. Norfolk Southern was also there doing an assessment, McClure said.

“The most important thing we can do for our first responders is stay away from the site,” McClure said.

Norfolk Southern in a statement confirmed it had personnel on scene who were “assessing with first responders.” The company praised “the quick, professional response by local emergency agencies.”

Riverside Drive is closed, and Lower Saucon Township Police are advising people to stay out of the area.

Gary Weiland, who lives across the river on Wilson Avenue in Bethlehem Township, heard the derailment. He said he initially heard what sounded like a first crash, then there was quiet, followed by the sound of another crash.

“As the second one was happening, I went upstairs and looked out the window and saw a splash. I said to my wife, ‘I think a train derailed.’” Weiland said.

Weiland said they are used to their windows vibrating from passing trains. “But not today,” he said. “It was a rumble. It was a little spooky.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The widely varying totals was due to a heavy banding of snow that affected a narrow area, stretching from Berks County east across the Lehigh Valley, to Raritan Bay in New Jersey.

Here are snowfall totals reported in locations across the region, according to the National Weather Service:

Berks County

• Mertztown: 12.5 inches
• Lyons: 12 inches
• Mohrsville: 12 inches (.1 mile west)
• Bern Township: 10.6 inches
• Lyons: 9.5 inches (2.6 miles south)
• Bernville: 9.1 inches (1.3 miles southwest)
• Fleetwood: 9 inches
• Blandon: 8.5 inches
• Huffs Church: 8.4 inches
• Hamburg: 6 inches
• Spring Township: 3 inches
• Douglass Township: 2.5 inches (1 mile west)
• Reading: 2.5 inches (3.5 southwest)
• Reading Regional Airport: 2.5 inches
• Shillington: 2.5 inches (0.5 mile east)
• Union Township: 2 inches

Montgomery County

• Pennsburg: 5 inches
• Wynnewood: 4.2 inches
• Penn Wynne: 4 inches (0.5 mile north)
• Salford Township: 4 inches
• New Hanover Township: 3.2 inches
• Norristown: 3.1 inches
• Glenside 2.5 inches (1.1 miles north)
• North Wales: 2.5 inches (1.3 miles west)
• Skippack: 2.5 inches (2.6 miles east)
• Trappe: 2.4 inches (1 mile south)
• Willow Grove: 2.3 inches (1 mile east)
• Bridgeport: 2.1 inches (1 mile east)
• Fort Washington: 2 inches (0.8 mile northwest)
• Wyncote: 2 inches

Bucks County

• Kintnersville: 13 inches
• Passer: 13 inches (1 mile north)
• Springtown: 12.2 inches (2 miles northeast)
• Quakertown: 8 inches
• East Rockhill Township: 5.2 inches
• Furlong: 3.8 inches
• Newtown: 3.7 inches (2 miles east)
• Doylestown: 3.5 inches (3.4 miles southwest)
• Langhorne: 3.5 inches (3.4 miles north)
• Fricks 3.4 inches (1 mile north)
• Newtown: 3.4 inches
• Jamison: 3.0 inches
• Langhorne: 3.0 inches (1 mile north)
• Northampton Township: 2.8 inches (1 mile south)
• Sellersville: 2.8 inches (1 mile south)
• Levittown: 1 inch (1 mile west)

Delaware County

• Swarthmore: 4.1 inches
• Bethel Township: 4 inches (1 mile west)
• Springfield: 4 inches
• Chadds Ford Township: 3.6 inches
• Morton: 3.4 inches
• Wayne: 3.4 inches
• Upper Chichester: 3.3 inches (1.4 miles west)
• Boothwyn: 3.2 inches
• Aston Township: 3.1 inches

Chester County

• Berwyn: 4.8 inches
• Exton: 3.5 inches
• Oxford: 3.5 inches
• West Chester: 3.5 inches (2.4 miles south)
• Jennersville: 3.4 inches
• West Grove: 3.4 inches (2.6 miles west)
• Chads Ford: 3.1 inches (3 miles southwest)
• West Caln Township: 3.1 inches
• Atglen : 3 inches (.2 miles west)
• Kennett Square: 3 inches (4 miles north)
• Oxford: 3 inches (2.1 miles east)
• Paoli: 3 inches
• West Nottingham Township: 3 inches (2 miles southeast)
• West Sadsbury Township: 3 inches (2 miles west)
• Downingtown: 2.8 inches
• East Nantmeal Township: 2.8 inches
• East Coventry Township: 2 inches
• Glenmoore: 2 inches (1 mile east)
• Pottstown: 2 inches (3 miles south)
• East Vincent Township: 1.8 inches (1 mile northeast)

Here's what your reports look like as of 1050a. The significance of that mesoband is immediately apparent with 8-13" in the band and 2-4" just to the north and south. pic.twitter.com/MJ1XuMdnAJ

— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) February 17, 2024

More snow is on the way Friday night into Saturday across southeastern Pennsylvania.

A winter weather advisory is in effect across the entire region from 10 p.m. Friday until 10 a.m. Saturday for 1 to 5 inches of snow.

The further south you are in our region, the more snow you are likely to get, according to the latest snowfall projections from the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly, N.J., forecast office.

Most areas are expected to get between 3 and 4 inches; however, southwest Delaware County and portions of Chester County could see higher amounts, according to the projections.

Snow could become heavy overnight before tapering off Saturday morning, according to the weather service. Roads will become slippery, and motorists should use caution.

Areas to the north, including the far northern portions of Montgomery and Bucks counties, as well as the Lehigh Valley, are expected to get between 2 and 3 inches of snow.

The latest round of snow will come from a clipper system moving across the Midwest and then Mid-Atlantic. A cold front that moved through the region overnight has provided the colder air necessary for an all-snow event, according to the weather service’s forecast discussion.

“One good thing with this system is that the low is fairly weak, so winds look pretty light as the system moves through,” the forecast discussion notes.

While most of the snow will wrap up by mid-morning Saturday, additional snow showers could linger throughout the day, particularly in areas to the north, according to the forecast discussion.

Otherwise, the rest of Saturday will be brisk, though clouds could give way to sunshine later in the day, which may just be enough to allow for melting of snow, according to the weather service.

Sunday will be slightly warmer, with a high temperature in the upper 30s expected. Heading into next week, temperatures will warm up, with highs in the 40s to the start the week, then gradually nearing 50 by mid-week.

Late Monday evening, the National Weather Service upgraded Berks, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties to a winter storm warning as a shifting storm track indicated the area would get more snow than initially expected.

Early Tuesday morning, the projected totals increased again. Snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches are now expected in Berks and upper Bucks counties, while 4 to 8 inches are possible in Chester, Montgomery and lower Bucks counties, according to the weather service.

The heaviest snow is expected Tuesday morning, with snowfall rates of up to an inch per hour possible. This will create hazardous conditions and make travel very difficult, according to the weather service.

The winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Delaware County and Philadelphia, where 2 to 5 inches of snow are now expected, are under a winter weather advisory.

The change in the forecast is the result of a slight shift south in the storm’s track and an increase in the amount of cold air that will work its way into the storm. This allowed an earlier changeover from rain to snow, according to the weather service forecast discussion.

In its forecast discussion Tuesday morning, the weather service noted that the early spotter reports indicated that forecasters had overestimated the amount of dry air involved with the storm, and accumulations were exceeding expectations. This prompted the weather service to further increase the snowfall projections.

The storm could also bring wind gusts as high as 40 mph, according to the weather service.

To the north, the worst of the storm is once again expected to hit the Lehigh Valley and Poconos, where up to a foot of snow is now expected, with locally higher amounts possible.

This story will be updated. 

There is still a lot of uncertainty over just how much will fall where, but northern parts of the region are likely to see at least a few inches, according to the latest snowfall projections from the National Weather Service.

In Berks County, a winter storm watch for 2 to 4 inches of snow will take effect from midnight Monday until 6 p.m. Tuesday. The storm could produce heavy snow and wind gusts up to 35 mph, according to the weather service.

Still, the weather service notes that “confidence is lower” that the snowfall will reach warning criteria. That would mean amounts of more than 5 inches. If the snowfall projections remain under that amount closer to the storm, then the watch will be changed to a winter weather advisory, according to the weather service.

Road conditions will be slippery as the snowfall, with potentially hazardous travel conditions during the Tuesday morning and evening commutes, according to the weather service.

Upper Bucks County is included in the watch area. No advisories or watches have been issued for the rest of southeastern Pennsylvania as of late Saturday afternoon.

Substantially higher snowfall totals are possible to our north. In the Lehigh Valley, 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected, according to the weather service. Up to a foot of snow is possible in the Poconos.

Ahead of the possible snow, heavy rain is expected to start across the area by Monday evening. Rain could become heavy at times, according to the weather service.

With warm air over the region ahead of the storm, the main factor in determining how much, if any, snow we will get will be the track of the coastal low. Exactly where it goes will will determine just how far south the cold air will extend, which would be needed for the precipitation to turn to snow, according to the weather service forecast discussion.

Still, the forecast discussion notes that “any snow down to the I-95 corridor looks to be minimal.”

Check back for the latest updates.

Projected snow totals have continued to increase, and part of the area is now under a winter storm warning for between 5 and 6 inches of snow. The warning is in effect from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday for Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, eastern Montgomery County and lower Bucks County.

The rest of the region will be under a winter weather advisory during the same time period for a slightly lower snowfall of 2 to 4 inches.

Forecast snowfall totals have increased slightly across the area. Snow will begin between 4-7 AM Friday then continue into the evening. Portions of the urban corridor and points east were upgraded to Winter Storm Warnings, where 4-6" is forecast. #PAwx #NJwx #DEwx #MDwx pic.twitter.com/vFaTepY6gR

— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 18, 2024

Slick road conditions are likely, and will lead to a difficult — if not hazardous — morning and evening commute, the weather service warns. With temperatures set to plummet even further after the storm late Friday night, flash freezing of untreated roads is likely.

“PennDOT and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission crews are actively pre-treating roadways where necessary ahead of the storm to help prevent ice from forming a bond with the pavement during the early stages of a storm,” a PennDOT announcement Thursday afternoon said. “However, salt does not resolve all risks, and drivers may encounter icy spots on the roadway. “

Several road restrictions go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday and become more restrictive at 3 a.m.

The entire length of Interstate 80 is going to be under Tier 1 restrictions, which prohibit tractors without trailers, tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers, passenger vehicles towing trailers, recreation vehicles/motorhomes, school and commercial buses and motorcycles.

Interstate 76 from the PA Turnpike to New Jersey, all of I-78, I-95, I-176, I-295 and I-676, and portions of I-476 and U.S. 22 will be under Tier 2 restrictions, which includes all of the prohibitions in Tier 1, plus commercial vehicles towing loaded tandem trailers without chains or alternate traction devices and all loaded or unloaded school buses, commercial buses, and motor coaches regardless of the availability of chains or ATDs.

Visit www.511PA.com for the latest roadway conditions and updates.

Also, PennDOT’s snow plow tracker shows the location of its roughly 2,200 plow trucks. They are all equipped with automated vehicle location systems that send a cellular signal to show where the truck is and how much material is being spread from it.

In addition to showing the current location of a plow truck, the map will show its entire route, and which roads have already been treated.

You can view the snow plow tracker at 511pa.com by checking off the box for “PennDOT plow trucks” on the map.

Light snow is expected to develop early Friday morning, later than initially expected, and will continue throughout the day as surface low pressure moving over the Ohio Valley transfers to a strengthening low developing off the mid-Atlantic coast, according to the weather service forecast discussion.

Unlike the storm earlier this week that saw snow turn to rain, temperatures are expected to remain below freezing, keeping the precipitation as all snow, the forecast discussion notes.

Coming in behind the storm will be another arctic air mass that will cause low temperatures to drop from the 20s Friday night to the teens Saturday morning, according to the weather service. Wind chill values will range from single digits to as low as 10 below zero.

The deep freeze will last through the weekend, before things warm up, relatively speaking, early next week. Temperatures by Tuesday and Wednesday should be around average for this time of year.

PennDOT’s snow plow tracker shows you the location of its roughly 2,200 plow trucks. They are all equipped with automated vehicle location systems that send a cellular signal to show where the truck is and how much material is being spread from it.

In addition to showing the current location of a plow truck, the map will also show its entire route, and which roads have already been treated.

You can view the snow plow tracker at 511pa.com by checking off the box for “PennDOT plow trucks” on the map.

Note that the system only shows PennDOT trucks, which handle plowing on state-maintained roads. It does not show plow locations on local roads.

PennDOT first launched the plow tracker during the winter of 2015-16. You can read more about the system here.

A winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service is in effect for the entire region from 7 p.m. Monday until 1 p.m. Tuesday. The snow will lead to slippery road conditions, and possibly even a hazardous morning commute, the advisory warns.

Snowfall projections from the weather service’s Mount Holly, N.J., forecast office were increased Monday afternoon to 4 to 6 inches of snow across most of the region.

Here is our final briefing on the snowfall tonight into Tuesday. https://t.co/JiD09ByGTv pic.twitter.com/CKlJrKtrYJ

— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 15, 2024

The snow will begin Monday evening, earlier than initially expected, and continue into Tuesday as a low pressure system passes off the coast.

Areas to the north and west, including Berks, Chester and Montgomery County are expected to receive the most snow from the storm, and accumulations of more than 4 inches are even possible in some localized areas, according to the weather service.

Expect “continued light but steady snowfall across the Lehigh Valley and Poconos,” the weather service’s forecast discussion notes. Areas to the south and east will be in the 2-3 inch range due to the potential for dry air mixing in, according to the forecast discussion.

Those areas along and southeast of the Interstate 95 could see the snow turn to a wintry mix by Tuesday morning, according to the weather service.

If the forecast holds, it could mark an end to the snow drought in Philadelphia, which hasn’t had a measurable snowfall in nearly two years. The last snow measured at Philadelphia International Airport was on Jan. 29, 2022, when 7.5 inches fell.

A rapid strengthening of the storm that would have led to higher snowfall totals is no longer expected. The forecast discussion notes that “some question remains about how close the surface low passes,” which could further affect snowfall totals.

The system will pass out to sea by Tuesday night, with any lingering precipitation rapidly moving away, according to the forecast discussion.

While the region will escape a major snow event with this storm, another system expected to move in Thursday night into Friday could deliver.

There is still a lot of uncertainty in the forecast for that storm, but “a decent chance exists for another widespread snowfall, possibly relatively significant,” the forecast discussion notes.

In any event, the presence of cold arctic air that has moved into the region makes it likely that any precipitation will fall as snow. High temperatures all week will struggle to get above freezing. On Wednesday, a high of just 25 is expected.

After the storm Thursday night into Friday, an even colder air mass is expected to move in Saturday, with highs again in the 20s, according to the forecast discussion.

A wind advisory from the National Weather Service expired at 5 p.m., and the wind will die down as the evening goes on. During the afternoon, winders were between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 to 50 mph, according to the weather service.

PECO reported just over 10,000 outages late Sunday afternoon across its service area in the Philadelphia region. The bulk of those — nearly 7,500 — were in Chester County.

In Berks County, more than 5,000 Met-Ed and PPL customers were without power as of 2:30 p.m., with Met-Ed having the bulk of those outages.

While the wind lingered, the threat of snow squalls passed quickly. Earlier Sunday, the weather service warned that “dangerous” squalls capable of causing near-whiteout conditions were moving across eastern Pennsylvania.

One snow squall warning that included northern Montgomery and Bucks counties expired at 11:45 a.m. A separate warning that included Montgomery and southeastern Berks counties expired at 12:30 p.m.

Intense bursts of heavy snow and wind gusts greater than 35 mph were produced by those squalls, which led to rapidly falling visibility, according to the weather service.

Snow showers are starting to move into parts of the area. Here is an estimate of timing. pic.twitter.com/746T6n3vw0

— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 14, 2024

As the squalls moved across Pennsylvania on Sunday morning, whiteout conditions were reported across western and central portions of the state.

The weather service’s State College forecast office shared side-by-side photos from a PennDOT traffic camera, taken just 4 minutes apart, showing Interstate 80 in Clearfield County going from completely passable to snow-covered amid whitehout conditions.

These two images were taken 4 minutes apart on I-80 near the Clearfield exit. This is what we mean by rapid onset whiteout conditions and roads becoming slippery. Please avoid travel in snow squalls! #PAwx pic.twitter.com/nm1ngHl9yg

— NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) January 14, 2024

Next storm

Looking ahead to the coastal storm expected to impact the region early this week, it’s no longer shaping up to be the blockbuster that some forecasting models were projecting just days ago. A rapid strengthening of the storm that would have led to higher snowfall totals is no longer expected.

“A widespread significant 6+ inch snowfall event is not anticipated based on latest guidance,” according to the forecast discussion from the weather service’s Mount Holly, N.J., office.

However, the region won’t go unscathed, and snow is now a near certainty for any precipitation that moves into our region, as the system will have enough cold air available, according to the forecast discussion.

The snow will likely start late Monday night, earlier than expected, and continue into Tuesday.

A 1- to 3-inch snowfall over most of the region is the likely outcome, according to the forecast discussion. However, the Lehigh Valley could be in the higher end of that range.

The weather service’s snowfall projection map released late Sunday afternoon shows most of Lehigh and Northampton counties expected to receive 3 to 4 inches of snow. Portions of eastern and northern Northampton counties could see slightly lower accumulation.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the entire region from the 1 p.m. Tuesday until 6 p.m. Wednesday. Between 2 and 3 inches of rain is possible in most areas over that period, but some isolated spots could see up to 4 inches, according to the watch.

Increasing the overall risk for flooding are recent heavy rainfalls — some of which also caused flooding — that have kept the ground saturated. Higher rainfall rates Tuesday night into early Wednesday could also contribute to flash flooding in urban areas, according to the weather service.

Melting snow from this weekend’s storm in some areas could also contribute to the flooding threat. While much of the region had little to no snow, areas to the north and west saw higher amounts. Parts of the Lehigh Valley and Poconos saw as much as a foot of snow.

All of the runoff could result in flooding of rivers, creeks and other low-lying areas, according to the weather service.

A map issued by the weather service’s Mount Holly, N.J., office shows all of southeastern Pennsylvania in the area at moderate risk for excessive rainfall from the storm. A moderate risk means there is at least a 40 percent chance of it occurring.

After the storm moves out Wednesday afternoon, the area could see another storm move in Friday into Saturday. As of now, that one is looking to bring mostly rain. The weather service forecast discussion, however, notes that if enough could dry air is in place, areas north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor could see snow or sleet.