According to the latest forecast update in Pittsburgh, residents can expect the weather to remain dry at least midweek with a continued warm trend. High-pressure systems will keep the skies clear and temperatures above the seasonal average until the following weather shift later in the week, as the National Weather Service reported.
Monday started with radiational solid cooling and a distinct temperature variation that was largely elevation-driven. Hilltops registered several degrees warmer than the valleys, especially near dawn. The day is expected to stay the course, with clear skies, scarcely any wind, and high temperatures that could reach the 90th percentile. Humidity levels, however, are predicted to hover closer to the 10th percentile.
Looking ahead to Tuesday and Wednesday, the warm trend is set to persist. High pressure will remain centered across the Ohio Valley through early Tuesday, sliding east by Tuesday afternoon. This should lead to high temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above average, continuing the recent warming trend.
However, change is on the horizon. A shortwave trough will travel across the Midwest on Tuesday night, reaching the Upper Ohio Valley by early Wednesday. While this will likely not bring significant moisture, it may result in slightly cooler high temperatures. A subsequent more potent shortwave and its associated surface cold front are forecast to arrive on Wednesday, potentially bringing showers, although with minimal rainfall amounts and scattered precip coverage.
VFR conditions are favored for aviation interests through much of Wednesday under high-pressure influence. The National Weather Service indicates minimal cloud presence and light surface wind, with the latter generally coming from the southwest before the arrival of a cold front that may lead to scattered showers and low-probability restrictions.
