Honestly, if you're looking at the 10 day weather forecast scranton pa right now, you're probably staring at a wall of gray icons and wondering if the sun actually exists in Lackawanna County during January. It's 29°F outside. It feels like 21°F.
Welcome to NEPA.
The air has that specific Scranton bite—the kind that makes your nostrils stick together when you step out of the Steamtown Mall. We aren't just dealing with "cold" here; we’re dealing with a complex atmospheric dance between the Appalachian ridges and the moisture hanging over the valley.
The immediate reality of the 10 day weather forecast scranton pa
Right now, Sunday, January 18, 2026, we are in the thick of it. The current humidity is sitting at a heavy 87%, which is why that 29-degree air feels so much more invasive than a dry cold would. We've got snow showers today with a high of 31°F.
But don't get comfortable.
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Tonight, the floor drops out. We’re looking at a low of 16°F. If you haven’t dripped your faucets yet, tonight might be the night to start thinking about it.
What the next few days look like
Tomorrow, Monday the 19th, stays gloomy. A high of 26°F and a low of 10°F. The wind is going to kick up too—15 mph from the southwest. That’s going to make the "feels like" temperature stay firmly in the single digits for most of the morning commute.
Tuesday is the outlier. It’s going to be gorgeous and absolutely brutal.
- High: 16°F
- Low: 8°F
- Condition: Sunny (Finally!)
It’s that "fool's sun." You see the bright sky from your kitchen window and think it’s a nice day to walk the dog, then you step onto the porch and realize the air is basically a liquid nitrogen bath. With 12 mph winds, Tuesday will likely be the most dangerous day of the week for exposed skin.
Why Scranton's weather patterns are so weird
People always complain that the 10 day weather forecast scranton pa changes every five minutes. There’s a reason for that. We sit in a valley.
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The geography of the Electric City creates what meteorologists often call "cold air damming." Cold air is dense. It gets trapped against the eastern slopes of the mountains, while warmer air tries to slide over the top. This is why you’ll often see it raining in Wilkes-Barre while it’s sleeting in Scranton, or snowing in Dunmore while the valley floor is just damp.
The Mid-Week "Warm-Up"
By Wednesday, January 21, we "warm up" to 30°F. I use quotes because, in any other context, 30 degrees isn't warm. But after an 8-degree night? You’ll see people at the local Turkey Hill without their hats on.
We stay in that 30-to-32-degree pocket through Thursday. Thursday actually looks like the most "pleasant" day of the forecast with a high of 32°F and partly sunny skies. It’s a good window to run errands before the weekend system moves in.
The Big Storm on the Horizon
If you're tracking the 10 day weather forecast scranton pa for travel plans, circle Monday, January 26.
The models are currently showing a heavy snow storm.
High of 18°F. Low of 11°F. Precipitation chance is sitting at a staggering 75% for both day and night. When the chance is that high this far out, the confidence in the system is significant. We’re talking about a serious accumulation event. Unlike the "snow showers" we’re seeing today, this looks like a sustained, heavy-moisture event coming in from the east.
The 10-Day Breakdown (Simplified)
| Day | High | Low | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Jan 18 | 31°F | 16°F | Snow Showers |
| Mon Jan 19 | 26°F | 10°F | Light Snow |
| Tue Jan 20 | 16°F | 8°F | Sunny & Frigid |
| Wed Jan 21 | 30°F | 10°F | Cloudy |
| Thu Jan 22 | 32°F | 14°F | Partly Sunny |
| Fri Jan 23 | 22°F | 10°F | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat Jan 24 | 23°F | 7°F | Partly Sunny |
| Sun Jan 25 | 13°F | 7°F | Light Snow |
| Mon Jan 26 | 18°F | 11°F | Heavy Snow Storm |
| Tue Jan 27 | 16°F | 6°F | Mostly Cloudy |
Surviving the Scranton Chill
Living here requires a specific kind of gear. This isn't "fashion" winter; it's "function" winter.
Most people make the mistake of wearing one giant coat. Experts—and anyone who has lived on North Washington Ave for more than a year—will tell you that layers are the only way to survive the 50% humidity we’re seeing this week.
- Base layer: Moisture-wicking. You don't want to sweat while shoveling and then have that moisture freeze against your skin.
- Mid-layer: Wool or fleece. Something that traps air.
- Outer layer: Windproof. Especially for Monday and Tuesday when those gusts hit 15 mph.
Honestly, check your car battery. Lead-acid batteries lose about 30% of their power when the temperature drops to freezing, and about 60% when it hits 0°F. With Tuesday and Saturday nights dropping into the single digits, an old battery will give up the ghost.
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Actionable Next Steps
If you're in Scranton right now, do these three things before the sun goes down today:
- Salt your walkways now. The snow showers today will melt slightly on the pavement and then flash-freeze as we hit 16°F tonight.
- Clear your tailpipe. If you're idling your car to warm it up during these light snow days, make sure the exhaust isn't blocked by a snowdrift. Carbon monoxide is a real risk in NEPA winters.
- Plan for Monday the 26th. That heavy snow storm isn't a "maybe" at this point. If you have a doctor's appointment or a grocery run, try to move it to Thursday the 22nd when the weather is clear.
The 10 day weather forecast scranton pa shows a classic, grueling Pennsylvania January. It’s cold, it’s gray, and there’s a big storm coming. But hey, at least we’re used to it.