The fog that had draped the city in a silken haze lifted this morning, clearing the path for a heatwave to settle in across Pittsburgh. Dense fog advisories had been active until 10 AM for several areas, including Allegheny County, as noted in a statement by the National Weather Service.
As we roll into Monday through Tuesday night, the forecast anticipates a return to more seasoned weather—rain chances prevail—keeping umbrellas in business. A statement by the NWS detailed: "The first of many subtle lows riding the trough axis is expected to arrive by Monday morning." Predicted totals for storm rain through 8 a.m. Wednesday hover around 0.5" to 2".
The long-term outlook, however, is shrouded in uncertainty—much like this morning's fog—particularly regarding rainfall patterns. A tropical low may waltz into the equation, further complicating forecasts. "The highest probability scenario is that the trough is through by late week and the main QPF swath affiliated with the system is through the mid-Atlantic," according to the NWS, signaling a wet week ahead, especially southeast of Pittsburgh. With various ensemble forecasts in play, exact precipitation quantities range a notable spread from 0" up to 3" in some predictions.
Pilots should note that the weather watch continues into the skies. Aviation interests faced an opaque start as dense fog developed overnight, especially over areas saturated from previous rainfalls. Visibility dropped to IFR or lower in some terminals, but expectations are for VFR conditions to reign post-fog throughout the day. However, Rain and restriction chances increase late Sunday night into Monday with another crossing cold front, as unsettling weather patterns could continue to make frequent fliers of us all.
