Pittsburgh's brief respite of warm days will soon be succeeded by a return to cooler temperatures and a serving of rain, just in time for the weekend. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh confirms the uninterrupted sun and climbing mercury that the city has been enjoying is slated to persist through Friday.
Today's clear skies belie the transient nature of weather. Meteorologists point to a cold front briskly approaching come Friday night, which promises to resurrect the chance for showers and the distant murmur of thunderstorms. Despite enjoying a day replete with sunlight, the evening is set to shroud Pittsburgh in advance cloud cover—an overture to the upcoming atmospheric performance.
The National Weather Service mentions that even as the cold front hastens its approach, its powers to summon storms may be hampered by timing and cloud cover. As their recent discussion suggests, "Models still trying to come into agreement on how much instability will be available Friday evening through Saturday morning."
Once the front has swept through at night, Saturday takes a noticeable dive, with temperatures tumbling 10 to 15 degrees below the norm. Stratocumulus clouds, sailing with the xanthic leaves of fall, speak to the season's change as they plan to stretch far and wide across the sky. Saturday will be 10 to 15 degrees below average, and we would not be surprised if we don't see temperatures slowly falling in the afternoon.
Longer-term forecasts suggest the expulsion of the rain cloud chorus by Sunday as the weather pattern shifts to a cooler, drier melodrama. There stands a chance that post-frontal moisture could offer an encore of lake-effect showers along the I-80 corridor. However, the overarching theme is clear – dry airs to settle, underpinning days with a backdrop of sub-normal temperatures until mid-next week.
Under the unswerving watch of high pressure, air traffic cruises along undisturbed with VFR conditions through Friday morning, as stated by the National Weather Service. Although tinged with benign traces of distant wildfires, the skies pose no challenge to aviators. Yet, the inevitable front crossing late on Friday portends a requisite shift in the narrative, foreshadowing potential restrictions amongst possible showers and thunderstorms for voyagers of the skies.
