"The Morning Call Inc., Copyright 2002"
Date: TUESDAY, January 12, 1988
WEATHER IN BUCKS NOT SO HOT
by JILL WENDLING, The Morning Call
Hang on. Warmer weather is on its way. Although it'd be premature to break out the beach chairs and suntan lotion, temperatures will soon be higher than yesterday morning when the thermometer hit a low of 7 degrees below zero - the coldest in three years.
''It's going to warm up to the point for rain and not snow,'' said Karl Loeper of the National Weather Service at the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport.
Loeper said the minus 7 was recorded at 4:20 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. yesterday at the airport. Other temperatures in the area ranged from minus 26 at Tobyhanna to minus 9 and 8 degrees at Reading and Doylestown, respectively. A thermometer at the Sellersville filtration plant read minus 3 degrees at about 2 a.m., according to Alan Frick, assistant borough manager.
Last night was another for electric blankets and flannel pajamas when temperatures were expected to range from minus 3 to minus 19in the low sections of Lehigh Valley and 8 above to minus 13 in the higher elevations.
Loeper said today should be partly sunny with a high of 38 to 40. BUCKS NOT SO HOT
According to Charles Giannetta, another meteorologist at the airport, a high pressure system will recede off the coast, making way for southwestern air. Temperatures tonight will be in the 30s, depending on the area.
Despite yesterday morning's low temperature, it didn't earn a place in the record books.
''Oddly enough it didn't break a record,'' said Loeper. ''Any other day this month it would have probably been a record.''
For instance, records for today and Sunday were 6 degrees below zero.
Yesterday's record was set in 1942 when the mercury hit 11 degrees below zero.
Loeper said temperatures have been below normal since last Tuesday. It is usual for temperatures at this time of the year to have highs of 35 degrees and lows of 20 degrees.
The frigid temperatures are due to a jet stream that is dragging cold air out of Canada.
''The bitter cold air is retreating into Canada where it belongs,'' he said.
The cold weather has resulted in some increased business for area plumbers and fuel companies.
Ray Weidner, owner and president and R.A. Weidner Inc., Perkasie, which handles both plumbing and heating concerns, said his firm had received ''quite a few'' calls to handle broken and frozen pipes.
''About 25 percent of our calls today had to do with weather-related problems,'' said Weidner.
He said the company has had an increased demand for fuel oil. Weidner estimated that the cold spell had increased both businesses by 10 to 15 percent overall.
Two local firms reported that the weather hasn't really affected business.
James Miller, a plumber with W.J. Miller and Sons, Perkasie, said the firm has only received several calls in the past week. Miller explained that the company hasn't received many complaints because they have taught their customers how to prevent the problems by using heat tape and insulation.
Heston S. Swartley Jr., vice president of Heston S. Swartley, Sellersville, a fuel oil company, said the firm has experienced increased business, but not because of chilly temperatures. The
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"WEATHER BY GIANNETTA"