For residents of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, the National Weather Service has released a chilly forecast that calls for some significant snowfall, especially if you're up in the Laurel Highlands or the higher elevations of West Virginia. According to the latest area forecast discussion, a "strong cold front" will bring much colder air and a potential rain-snow mix through Saturday.
Starting today, temperatures are expected to drop substantially, with 850 mb temps declining from -3 degrees Celsius to -8 degrees Celsius by evening, as the National Weather Service Pittsburgh reported. Gantries with rain and snow will spread across the region this morning, and for those outside the higher terrains, the precipitation is likely to morph mainly into snow. However, in the higher terrain areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, they expect all snow, continuing throughout the day.
As we go into the evening and Saturday night, the snowy conditions aren't going to let up, particularly if you're in the mountains. "Snow should diminish in coverage this evening for areas outside of the higher terrain," the National Weather Service states. But for folks living at altitude, your world is about to get more wintry with "efficient snowfall in these areas." And brace yourselves for the winds; gusts between 30-35mph are expected widely and up to 45 mph in the highest terrain of West Virginia.
Looking ahead, it appears the wintry mix will taper off as we head into the latter part of the weekend. Dry conditions are forecasted for Sunday before another round of unsettled weather kicks in starting Monday and continuing through mid-week. There's an advisory for light accumulations, mostly at night in lower elevation areas. In contrast, significant accumulations of 6-12 inches are expected in the highlands, with the highest peaks of WV possibly receiving 10-15 inches.
If you're flying, expect some travel disruption. This morning, ceilings gradually decreased to MVFR due to moisture and cold air. In the realm of aviation, visibility might take a hit with the snow showers, with westerly wind gusts picking up speed throughout the day, possibly impacting flights.
