As Pittsburgh steels itself against the cold, the National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA has released their Area Forecast Discussion, warning of isolated snow showers with the highest chances hitting the ridges and areas north of I-80. The city's set for a prolonged cold period, and occasional snow showers are on the books as we head into December, the forecast detailed early this morning.
Residents should wrap up as temperatures won't see much climbing, if any, instead dropping through the day. According to the National Weather Service, areas outside the immediate urban zones will likely dip into the teens later at night. No relief seems in sight with the first wave of a notable cold snap, hinting at single-digit wind chill values early Saturday morning and even the potential for them to plummet below zero in parts of the West Virginia ridges, underscoring a biting reality for the weekend.
The short-term outlook isn't much warmer, with the report stating some lake-effect snow is possible north of I-80 on Saturday. While well below-normal temperatures will persist through the weekend, it will feel nigh on arctic with near-zero wind chills in the mornings. Although Pittsburgh might catch a glimpse of the sun on Saturday thanks to drier air moving in, by Sunday, snow shower chances mutate once again, driven by waves of shortwave energy.
Into next week, the chill is here to stay—ECONUS troughing will keep the mercury stubbornly low, with daytime highs through Wednesday unlikely to break the freezing mark. Residents should bundle up as rounds of shortwaves maintain grim prospects for snowfall. Amidst the gripping freeze, the local ambiance will be stamped by a series of Great Lakes dives into early Tuesday, where the probability for measurable snowfall in certain parts ranges from 60-80%, the highest odds circling and north of I-80, according to the forecast.
In aviation, a mixed bag of MVFR to low VFR overcast conditions will drape the skies, with gusty winds hanging on until close to midnight and the potential for brief visibility lapses due to heavier snow showers. As we approach the weekend, clearer skies might be a rare luxury. However, more snow showers and restrictions loom come Sunday through Tuesday as another series of shortwave troughs line up like dominos waiting to cascade over the Great Lakes and Upper Ohio Valley regions.
